


Aizawa the Aristocat

by Collateral_Beauty



Category: Disney Cartoons (Classic), The Aristocats (1970), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Adopted Bakugou Katsuki, Adopted Eri (My Hero Academia), Adopted Shinsou Hitoshi, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Adopts Bakugou Katsuki, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Adopts Eri, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead Adopts Shinsou Hitoshi, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Anxious Amajiki Tamaki, Cat Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Cat Bakugou Katsuki, Cat Eri (My Hero Academia), Cat Shinsou Hitoshi, Cat-Zawa, Crossover, Cute Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Dadmic, Dadzawa, Dadzawa - An Aizawa Shota Zine, Disney References, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gay Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Gay Disaster Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Gay Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Insomniac Shinsou Hitoshi, Inspired by Disney, M/M, Mentor Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parental Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Protective Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Protective Bakugou Katsuki, Protective Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Retired Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Sweet Eri (My Hero Academia), Toogata Mirio is a Dork, Toogata Mirio is a Good Significant Other, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Villain Sasaki Mirai | Sir Nighteye, Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic is a Dork, erasermic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 37,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22143703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Collateral_Beauty/pseuds/Collateral_Beauty
Summary: When a retired Yagi Toshinori decides to leave his fortune to his rescue cats, an outraged assistant plots to get rid of the cats in order to inherit the fortune himself. Lost and with nowhere to turn, Aizawa meets a loud and charismatic alley cat that vows to help Aizawa and his kittens get back home.This is a My Hero Academia and Aristocat crossover where Aizawa is a cat and Bakugo, Shinso, and Eri are his kittens.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Amajiki Tamaki/Toogata Mirio
Comments: 264
Kudos: 442





	1. Toshinori, Crazy Cat Man?

As Yagi Toshinori leaned back in his computer chair, he thought back on his life. He had gained notoriety from creating a comic book series about All Might, the world’s greatest superhero. It had gained popularity and The Symbol of Peace soon became everyone’s favorite superhero. After selling the franchise, he now had more money than he knew what to do with. Nowadays, he mostly writes comic book reviews and makes appearances at comic conventions.

Yagi fondly looks over to his cat, Shouta, who is comfortably curled up in his basket. His black coat shined in the sunlight as his chest slowly moved up and down. Yagi gently moved Shouta’s white scarf, which was loosely wrapped around his neck, down to get a better look. With the moon-shaped scar now visible, Yagi wondered for the hundredth time what could’ve happened to his feline friend prior to being rescued.

Since bringing Shouta home from the animal shelter, he had been the most docile cat on earth. He slept most of the day and hardly displayed any aggression. Lately, however, Shouta was more tired than usual, thanks to the three little kittens that were curled up next to the tired housecat.

Since retiring from comic book writing, Yagi had taken up another occupation, kitten rescuing. Yagi was hesitant at first because he was unsure of how his beloved cat would react to noisy kittens in his territory. Though Shouta was indifferent to them at first, he had become a patient surrogate to the kittens in time.

A lavender-colored kitten, named Hitoshi, slept soundly under Shouta’s chest. Though the two are not related, Hitoshi’s tired eyes uncannily resemble the adult feline’s.

A feisty blonde kitten, named Katsuki, laid against Shouta’s stomach and swatted the air lazily. Katsuki was a feral kitten and often hissed at Yagi whenever he was near.

A tiny white kitten with red eyes, named Eri, purred lightly as she nestled closer under Shouta’s chin. Eri is a more recent addition to the tiny family, but can easily keep up with the two older kittens.

Yagi smiled at the slumbering kitties and looked back at his computer screen. Writer’s block was nothing new to him, but now that he was writing his own will and testament, he felt especially lost. Yagi was by no means elderly, but a recent diagnosis caused him to start making preparations for the end of his life. Yagi had no family or living relatives, so he was trying to think of whom he could leave behind with his fortune.

Just as his mind wandered, a knock on the office door caught his attention. Mirai Sasaki, Yagi’s assistant, cautiously peeked in from behind the door and stepped into the room. Yagi silently greeted his assistant and quickly placed his pointer finger on his lips to signal that they should be quiet. Mirai nodded in understanding and carefully pulled up a chair next to his boss. In a hushed tone, Mirai says, “Mr. Toshinori, I have a list of conventions that have requested your appearance, the studio wants to do a panel on the upcoming All Might movie, and I need your signature on the approved All Might merchandise.”

“Yes Mirai, I’ll get to that as soon as possible. I’m still waiting on a phone call from Mr. Tsukauchi,” Yagi replied, still starring at his computer screen.

“Your lawyer?” Mirai asked, “Whatever for?”

“I need him to look over my will and help me divide my assets.”

Mirai sadly looked at the computer screen and back at his boss. Toshinori Yagi looked drastically different then he did when Mirai first started working for him. His angular features are now more pronounced and almost skeletal. His joints poked out painfully from his long limbs and his eyes seemed hollow. Mirai could never get used to watching his mentor cough up blood when excited or startled.

“Very well sir,” Mirai replies, “ I will schedule your upcoming meetings and coordinate times and accommodations with the conventions.”

Yagi looks at his assistant appreciatively and gives his thanks to Mirai for his work. Mirai puts the chair back in its original spot and carefully closes the door behind him.

Yagi turns back the basket full of cats and gives Shouta a gentle pet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> This is my first fanfiction story, so please be sweet to me :)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope that you will enjoy the rest of the chapters. I have so much in store for you and I can't wait to share. 
> 
> <3


	2. Mirai Hears the News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirai Sasaki must make a decision after learning who Toshinori wants to give his fortune to.

Mirai sat down carefully at his desk. He crossed his long legs and leaned forward towards his desktop. The All Might screensaver beamed at him as he opened up the saved tabs.

With his right hand, he began typing on his computer. He will need to email the studio about possibly doing a cameo for the upcoming All Might movie, as well as going over ideas about the All Might animated cartoon and what Toshinori will be expected to wear at the morning show interview. With his left hand, he started writing a list of accommodations to fax to the convention organizers in order for his mentor to be comfortable. Number one being a private room so that Yagi could rest in between panels, a licensed nurse that could perform breathing treatments if needed, a substantial stock of foods that correspond with his recommended meal plan, etc.

Mirai performed these tasks with the diligence of a supercomputer. These skills served him well as the former editor for All Might comics.

Mirai looked up at the All Might posters that lined the surrounding walls and the All Might memorabilia that ornamented his desk. After years of worshiping the beloved superhero, it was his dream job to revise the very content that brought him so much joy as a child.

After Toshinori fell ill and sold the franchise, all of the other employees found work with other companies. Mirai had the opportunity to become an editor elsewhere, but he couldn’t possibly go anywhere else.

To Mirai, no other comic book writer could compare to the genius that is Toshinori Yagi.

Mirai looked down at his list and grimaced as he remembered one last accommodation for his mentor, a pet-friendly hotel so that Toshinori could take his cats.

It's not that Mirai disliked the cats, it was his idea for Toshinori to get a pet in the first place. Studies showed that pets reduce stress and provided emotional support for terminally ill patients. Though Mirai had a more therapeutically trained animal in mind, not a stray cat from the animal shelter.

Shouta wasn’t too much trouble to have around, but then Toshinori had to take in those kittens as well. Toshinori assured Mirai that he would care for the kittens until they were old enough to get adopted, but Mirai had his doubts.

The cats are too much of a distraction. With all of the vet visits, bottle feedings, and trips to the pet store, Toshinori has not had an original idea for a new comic series. This agitated Mirai because Toshinori did not have long on this earth. The thought of his mentor wasting what little time he has left fawning over cats instead of creating a new, illustrious comic series was infuriating.

The abrupt ringing of the landline startled Mirai out of his thoughts and he quickly picked up the phone. “Mr. Toshinori’s office, this is his assistant speaking, how may I help you?”

“Yes this is Mr. Tsukauchi, I need to speak with Mr. Yagi on some legal matters,” the polite voice replied.

Mirai recognized the voice immediately and responded, “Ah yes, you are Mr. Yagi’s lawyer, I will connect you to him right away.”

Before Mirai could hang up the phone, he heard his boss speak, “You’ve reached Toshinori.”

“Yagi! My old friend!”

“Naomasa! How are you?” Toshinori beamed to his old friend.

“I am doing very well,” Naomasa replied,” How is your will coming along? Have you decided on the beneficiaries?” This piqued Mirai’s interest. With the money gained from selling the franchise and the continued royalties from profits, the beneficiary would be extremely financially prosperous. Mirai heard his mentor respond, “Yes I have. As you know, I have no living relatives. Naturally, I want my cats to always be well taken care of. And there is no other person that I trust more to do this than my assistant, Mirai Sasaki.”

Mirai’s eyes widened in shock.

“Sasaki?!” Naomasa exclaimed, “You want your assistant to inherit your fortune? Your properties? Your stocks and bonds? Your legacy?!”

Mirai could cry tears of joy at the possibility. The things that he could accomplish with sort of money!

Yagi retorted, “No, no. My cats.”

"Your cats?!” Naomasa exclaimed.

Mirai silently gasped bewilderment.

“Yes,” Yagi answered, “I know it seems silly but they have brought me so much joy and fulfillment, I just want to make sure that they’ll be ok after I’m gone. Then, at the end of their lifespan, my entire estate will go to Mirai.”

Mirai could not believe what he was hearing. After years of absolute loyalty and superior work, he came second in inheriting Toshinorai’s vast fortune. Mirai couldn’t listen any longer and he quietly hung up the phone. He visibly deflated and dropped his entire upper body onto his desk in defeat. He just could not fathom the insult of having to wait for the four cats to die in order to become a millionaire.

He mumbled to himself, "This simply will not do, the cats have got to go..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Cats can be trained and certified to provide therapy for people. They have been proven to help with loneliness, depression, anxiety, and even improve heart conditions. Their purrs have been reported to be healing, but I think that the jury is still out on that one 🤔 They aren't trained to perform tasks like dogs are (cats tend to do what they want) but Aizawa is no ordinary cat. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading 💖


	3. Aizawa: A Self-Proclaimed Therapy Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally find out why Shouta is so tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see huh friends? To make up for my absence, I made this chapter extra long. Thank you guys so much for the comments and kudos, it really encourages me as a new writer. I have a new office job that gives me a lot of free time behind a computer, so I should have more opportunities to write. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.

Shouta woke up to the sound of Toshinori snoring. The black feline looked up to see his human leaned all the way back in his computer chair, dead asleep. His head rested on the back of the chair and his arms dangled to his sides. This was not an unusual sight. Shouta’s human has a habit of overworking himself, despite his weakened state. Shouta lifted his head off of the cushion and yawned, displaying all of his sharp teeth. With half-lidded eyes, he glanced down at the rest of his body to observe the state of his kittens.

Katsuki, the problem child, laid his body across Shouta’s side and was using him as a pillow.

Hitoshi, the tired child, was nestled under Shouta’s arm and up against his chest.

Eri, the youngest child, was previously under his chin before Shouta raised his head up.

Shouta eased his front paw out from under Hitoshi and used the other one as support to raise his upper body. As he stretched his back legs and arched his back up, he carefully eased his body out from under Katsuki. He nuzzled Katsuki and Eri to rouse them awake, it was time to start training. Hitoshi was left alone so that he could get a few extra minutes of sleep. With all of the extra night training lessons, Hitoshi needed all of the extra sleep he can get. As the two kittens were stirring and stretching themselves awake, Shouta quietly hopped down from his basket.

He padded towards his slumbering human and paused in front of the computer chair. Shouta readied himself and shimmied the back half of his body to pounce. Toshinori didn’t even stir as Shouta landed on his lap and crept towards his chest. Shouta pressed his head up against his human’s chest and listened to him breathe. Shouta could hear low crackles as the air moved in and out of Toshinori’s body. For a human that coughs up blood as often as Toshinori does, a low crackle was a good sound. Shouta moved his head slightly upward to listen to the man’s heart. It beat slowly, but with a consistent rhythm. Shouta pressed the top of his head to Toshinori’s neck. “Not warmer than usual,” the black feline thought. He looked towards the clock on the wall and took note of the placement of the hands. The little hand was on the four and the big hand was on the six. “Not quite time for the red pills,” he thought to himself.

Satisfied that his human was in favorable condition, Shouta turned his attention towards the basket containing his kittens. Katsuki yawned and chirped disgruntledly, while Eri was slowly blinking her eyes. With a stern but gentle voice, Shouta said, “Come on you two, it’s time to start training for the day.”

Shouta slinked down from Toshinori’s lap and padded towards the basket of kittens. He reached his two front paws onto the rim of the basket to address his students directly. “What is the first thing we assess?” Shouta asked.

With another yawn, Katsuki answered, “General condition. Heartbeat, lungs, temperature, whatever…”

“Correct,” Shouta answered back. Shouta leaned into the basket and gripped Eri gently by the scruff with his teeth. He placed her inside the folds of his scarf and went back to retrieve Katsuki.

“I can get up there myself!” Katsuki hissed with his back arched.

“Try it,” Shouta said unamused. With Eri safely tucked in the makeshift pouch, Shouta easily pounced back onto Toshinori’s lap and waited for Katsuki.

The blonde kitten stumbled out of the basket and scampered towards the computer chair. Katuski crouched close to the ground and launched himself up towards his teacher. He landed his front paws on the side of the chair cushion, but immediately slipped down. He scooted back a few inches and leaped again, only to have the same result. Shouta calmly said, “A running start might help…”

“I got it!” Katsuki growled. He scooted back a few feet and prepared for a third try. With a determined scowl, Katsuki ran towards the computer chair and leaped into the air. He landed on the edge of the chair cushion with his back feet struggling to find footing. Without him noticing, Shouta subtly moved his tail underneath Katsuki’s flailing paws. With the extra boost, Katsuki climbed up the rest of the way and sat next to his teacher. “See, I told you that I can do it myself!” Katsuki said with a puffed chest.

“That you did, good work,” Shouta said with a knowing smirk. “What are the different ways we can check a human’s heartbeat?” 

“By listening to the chest and feeling the wrists,” Katsuki answered.

“Where else?” Shouta asked.

“His neck,” Eri chimed in from inside the scarf.

“Good,” Shouta said. He bent down into the scarf to retrieve the tiny white kitten. With Eri securely scruffed, he lifted her up towards his human’s neck. Eri climbed up and settled into Toshinori’s hollow collar bone. “Now,” Shouta said from his human’s lap, “Gently knead around until you can feel something move from inside of his neck.” She placed her tiny toe beans onto Toshinori’s neck and kneaded until she felt a pulsating vein.

“I feel it!” Eri exclaimed.

“Good, now lay by his neck to feel how warm he is,” Shouta instructed. Eri settled back into Toshinori’s collarbone and made herself into a tiny loaf.

“Katsuki, you feel his wrist to find a heartbeat. Remember, lay it...”

“On a flat surface, I know!” Katsuki said through gritted teeth while tugging at Toshinori’s sleeve. Agitated by his student’s interruption, Shouta sunk his teeth into Katsuki’s scruff.

“Ow! Sensei!” Katsuki yelped as his body instinctually curled up and immobilized.

Shouta released the disgruntled kitten and said, “Is that any way to address your teacher?”

“No…,” Katsuki said with a frown and drooping ears.

“No what?” Shouta said through glaring red eyes.

“No sir,” Katsuki corrected.

“I understand that you were born on the streets, but that is no reason to be disrespectful to those who are trying to help you. Do you understand?” Shouta asked.

“Yes sir, I understand,” Katsuki said while looking away. Shouta licked Katsuki’s neck where he bit him and lifted his student onto the desk.

Shouta reached down and gripped Toshinori’s sleeve with his teeth and dragged it onto the desk. Katsuki put his paws on the human’s hand to steady it as Shouta pushed the rest of Toshinori’s arm on the desk.“Where can we check for a heartbeat?” Shouta asked.

Katsuki placed his paws on Toshinori’s wrist and said, “Right here." Using the weight of his entire upper kitten body, he applied pressure to feel for a pulse.

“How is the pacing?” Shouta asked.

“Slow, but steady. Normal heartbeat.”

“Good, why is it important that the heart is beating steadily?”

“Because a heartbeat means that there is life,” Katsuki answered confidently.

“Good. Eri, what is another sign of life that we can look for?” Shouta asked as he turned his head toward his youngest student.

“Warmth! And his is just right!” Eri exclaimed while rubbing her head under Toshinori’s chin.

“Correct. Now we check his breathing,” Shouta said as he got on his hind legs to reach Eri. He carefully lifts her out of his human’s collarbone and moved her down to listen to Toshinori’s chest.

After a moment of listening, Eri said, “Sounds like water getting sipped through a straw…”

“No more than usual?” a groggy voice asked from the basket.

Shouta looked over to see Hitoshi arching his back in a stretch. The black feline lifted Eri up onto the desk and hopped down from his human’s lap. “Glad that you could join us,” Shouta said as he approached the basket and reached in to grab Hitoshi. Unlike Katsuki, Hitoshi doesn’t mind getting picked up and carried.

“Why does he sound like that?” Eri asked as her teacher hopped back up on Toshinori’s lap.

Shouta placed the lavender kitten next to Katsuki on the desk and answered, “Because he’s sick. You know how he coughs up blood sometimes?”

“Yeah, it scares me,” Eri said in a small voice.

“It scares him too, that’s why we help him,” Shouta explained.

“Why do we do all of this? What’s the point?” the blonde kitten questioned.

“We do this because it’s a logical equivalent exchange. He puts a roof over our heads, food in our bowls, and warm milk in her bottle,” Shouta said while tipping his head towards Eri. The tiny kitten mewed in response. “In return, we look after him. We assess his health and make sure that he makes it through the day with little discomfort.”

The three kittens stared at their teacher with bored, unimpressed expressions. Shouta sighed, “Ok, I think that's enough training, for now, go play in the other room. I’ll be there in a minute.”

One by one, Aizawa’s kittens dropped from the desk and onto Toshinori’s lap. Shouta watched his kittens slid down Toshinori’s leg and onto the floor. Hitoshi looked back at his teacher with half-lidded eyes and said, “Sensei, are you sure he’ll be ok? He doesn’t have his sleeping mask to help him breathe.”

“He’ll be fine, his mouth is wide open and he’s snoring. If he stops breathing, I’ll be here to wake him up. Go make sure Katsuke doesn’t teach Eri anymore curse words,” Shouta answered as he tucked himself into a loaf. Hitoshi nodded and scampered toward his siblings into the next room. Shouta slowly blinked his eyes closed and listened to his human snore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The "sleeping mask" that Hitoshi was referring to is a CPAP machine. It helps people with sleep apnea breathe throughout the night. I figured that neither Aizawa nor Hitoshi would know what that machine is called, so they would make up a name. 
> 
> I got a lot of inspiration for this chapter from the anime, My Roommate is a Cat. It really helped me imagine Catzawa trying to make sense of the human world. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Mirai's Last Straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kittens get into trouble and Mirai has a breakdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to TheSmokingCrow for helping me so much with this fic. I don't have cats myself, so he's been a great help with writing kitty behaviors and how they would react in situations.

Mirai didn’t pick his head up off of his desk until the sun started to go down. The effort of lifting it back up was too much to bear under the weight of despair.

“How could I be second in line for the million-dollar inheritance?” Mirai thought. “I, Mirai Sasaki, the esteemed editor of All Might Comics, president of the All Might fan club, and loyal assistant for seven years…considered less deserving than cats!!”

Mirai turned his head to cool one side of his reddening face. “Without that money, how am I to start Sir Knight Eye comics now?” Mirai thought as tears began to sting his eyes. “Sir Knight Eye, the foresight hero. A hero with the power to see into the future and stop crimes from ever happening.” Oh, how he longed to have that power for himself, so that he could see how these series of events will unfold in front of him.

The sound of tiny meowing and the pitter-patter of young paws roused him from his existential crisis. Mirai peeked out from under folded arms to see the kittens chasing each other. The blonde kitten ran ahead and waited for the white one to catch up. The white one tried to pounce on the blonde one but landed a few inches shy and the blonde kitten ran ahead a few more feet. The purple one shortly joined the others and snuck up behind the white kitten. He lightly batted at the white kitten and she started to chase him around the room instead.

Mirai groaned and sunk his head back under his folded arms. He hated it when those kittens played in his office. They were always getting into trouble and messing with his All Might collectibles. He didn’t know what it was about cats and not being able to resist the urge to knock things off of shelves. “...thugs,” Mirai groaned into his desk.

A load crash startled Mirai out of his thoughts. He bolted up in his seat to locate the source of the noise. He stared in horror at his signed, limited edition, 20th year anniversary, All Might Tiffany lamp... shattered all over the floor. This was one of only five made in the entire world, and now it was in pieces!! Tears welled in his eyes as Mirai pulled at his disheveled hair and whined through clenched teeth. “This is not happening. This is not happening. This is not happeni…” Mirai’s mantra was interrupted by the sound of distressed mewing.

He got up and briskly walked around his desk to locate the source of the noise. The lamp laid in ruin at the foot of the nightstand that once proudly held it, but the cord was frantically moving. As Mirai’s eyes followed the cord, he found the culprits of this crime. The blonde and purple kittens were yanking on the lamp cord with their teeth and the white kitten was meowing distressfully.

Of course, they were the cause! “YOU!” Mirai yelled from the side of his desk. All three kittens jumped at the sound of Mirai’s outburst. “WHAT. HAVE. YOU DONE?!”

Both Eri and Hitoshi lowered their ears in fear as they crouched down low. Bakugo jumped in front of his foster siblings and growled his feral kitten growl.

“You scavenging… mongrel...mangy… pestilent...!” Mirai began to mutter angrily as he stomped towards the kittens.

With each step he took, the three kittens inched closer under the nightstand until they were completely hidden from sight. Even Bakugo began to cower as the tall man stalked closer.

“I’ll show you how to treat priceless merchandise…” Mirai growled as he held out his hand to reach for the kittens. In a flash of obsidian fur, The tall man tripped forward and fell on his face in a scrawny heap.

Mirai looked down at his legs to find them tangled in a thick, white scarf. As his nose began to drip blood, he looked up to see Shouta with his fangs bared. The enraged feline’s back was arched threateningly, his fur stood on end and a growl was starting from the back of his throat.

“You...” Mirai said with a menacing glare and malice dripping in his voice. Shouta answered with his own red-eyed glare and a hiss that could rival a cougar’s.

“What’s with all of the noise?” Toshinori said in a groggy voice. Using the door frame as support, he crouched down to help his assistant. “Sasaki, are you ok? You’re all tangled up,” Yagi said as he unraveled the scarf from his assistant’s legs.

“Mr. Yagi!! The cat attacked me!” Mirai said desperately.

“Shouta? That doesn’t sound like him,” Yagi said as he walked over and carefully picked up his furry companion.

“Shhh, it's ok, it's ok my friend,” Yagi coed as he smoothed down Shouta’s fur in an effort to calm him down. Shouta allowed his human to touch, but his glaring, red eyes never left Mirai.

“And those kittens….destroyed my lamp!!” Mirai whined as he picked himself off of the ground.

“Oh, I’m sure that they didn’t mean to,” Yagi said as he bent down to collect the lamp shards and move them out of harm’s way. “Shouta probably heard the crash and rushed in to check on the kittens. His scarf must have fallen off in the chaos and got wrapped around your legs,” Yagi theorized.

While still holding Shouta, Yagi steadied himself on the end table and stood back up. “I’ll call the artist tomorrow morning. I’m sure that he’d be happy to make another one,” Yagi said as he fished a handkerchief out from his shirt pocket and handed it to Mirai.

The disgruntled assistant took the offered cloth and dabbed his bloody nose. As he pressed the monogrammed tissue, he met Shouta’s glaring gaze but noticed a change. “Is he...smirking?!” Mirai frantically thought to himself.

“Lamps can always be replaced, but I’m more concerned about you. Are you sure that you’re alright?” Yagi said with his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes sir, I’m fine. Thank you for your concern,” Mirai answered, defeated.

“Good, now I think that’s enough excitement for one afternoon. If you don’t mind, can you make us some tea? It’s almost time to take my pills and I think that we both could use something warm to drink,” Yagi cheerfully said, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Yes sir, I’ll get right on that,” Mirai answered with a bow.

The assistant turned towards the stairs that lead down to the office kitchen. “And… Sasaki?” Yagi began to ask.

“Yes sir?” the assistant said as he looked over his shoulder.

“Can you also make something for the kitties? I’m sure that’d they enjoy a warm drink as well. Maybe that special creme de la creme drink that you made for the Christmas party last year?”

“Yes sir,” Mirai said through a forced smile, “I’d be happy to.” With heavy feet and muttered curses under his breath, he stomped down the stairs towards the kitchen.

“Not how we expected to end the workday, huh old friend?” Yagi asked while petting Shouta’s neck. Shouta wiggled out of Yagi’s grasp and jumped down to the ground. He headed towards the end table and wedged his face into the opening. Once he was able to part the table from the wall enough, Toshinori was able to see three trembling kittens with large, frightened eyes.

“There you guys are,” Yagi said in a gentle voice, “So this is where you all were hiding.” Yagi carefully moved the end table over and got on his knees to get a better look at the kittens. They were all crouched down low and huddled together for protection.

Yagi slowly reached towards them to offer his fingers to sniff. “Shouta must have taught you all well on what to do when there’s trouble. I couldn’t hear you at all,” Yagi said with a cheerful smile.

Hitoshi was the first to sniff Yagi’s fingers and rubbed his face against his thumb. Yagi blinked his eyes slowly to reassure Eri that he doesn’t pose a threat. She cautiously sniffed his fingers and accepted his touch as he scratched behind her ears. Bakugo didn’t take Yagi’s offering, but his fur unbristled and he confidently sat up.

“You guys have to be more careful when you’re playing in here, Mirai cherishes his things and gets upset if they are damaged,” Yagi said as he rubbed Hitoshi’s head with his pointer finger. Hitoshi tried to move closer into Yagi’s touch, but the lamp cord wrapped around his leg prevented him from moving. He tripped forward and fell onto his front paws.

“Ahh, this is what must have caused the lamp to fall,” Yagi cooed. He gently scooped up the lavender kitten to get a better look at the tangled cord.

Toshinori grimaced as he suddenly felt multiple, needle-like pricks sink into his right hand. Yagi turned his hand over to discover that Bakugo had launched himself onto the man’s hand to defend his foster brother.

Yagi chuckled at the kitten’s ferocity, “Still don’t trust me huh?” The blonde kitten growled in response and shook his head to grind his teeth deeper into the man’s hand.

Shouta immediately leaped over Yagi’s lap and sunk his own fangs into Bakugo’s scruff. The feral kitten released his hold on Toshibori’s hand and yelped in pain. While Bakugo was disabled, Shouta ground the blonde kitten into the carpet and gave a scolding growl.

“Oh Shouta, please don’t punish him too harshly,” Yagi pleaded. “He doesn’t know any better and was just doing what he thought was right. See,” Yagi said as he held up his hand, “he barely broke the skin.”

Shouta seemed appeased by his human’s words and released the blonde kitten. Bakugo tried to make his escape, but not before Shouta stepped on the kitten’s tail. Bakugo fell forward and annoyingly looked up to his teacher. The black cat moved his paw backward to drag the kitten towards him. He settled his paw on Bakugo’s back to keep him in place and made a low, warning growl.

“One day, young Katsuki, you will learn,” Toshinori said as he turned his attention back to Hitoshi. While cradling the kitten with one hand, Yagi carefully untangled the lamp cord from his hind legs. “There, now you’re free little one,” Yagi said as he let the kitten back onto the ground. Eri rushed over to her foster brother’s side and mewed cheerfully. She rubbed the top of her head under her brother’s chin and Hitoshi began to purr.

Bakugo looked up to his teacher questionably and Shouta removed his paw to release the kitten. The blonde kitten scampered over to his foster siblings and gave Hitoshi a once over. Once satisfied that Hitoshi wasn’t hurt, he pressed his body up against the lavender kitten’s side. Shouta gracefully sauntered over to his kittens and gently headbutted each of them.

“Now all's right with the world,” Yagi said at the sight of his cats.

He held onto the nightstand to use it as a crutch as he lifted himself back onto his feet. When he felt stable, he carefully moved the nightstand back into place and turned to address his cats.

“I need to go back to my office to get some work done before we can go home. It’ll be a little while until Mirai comes back with the warm drinks.”

“So Shouta,” Yagi said to the adult cat, “ I’m counting on you to keep the kittens out of trouble until then.” The black cat chirped in affirmation and Toshinori turned to walk back into his office. He left the cats alone, trusting that there will be no more surprises for the rest of the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Tiffany lamps' value can range from $4,000 to $1 million dollars, so I don't blame Mirai for being upset.
> 
> On a different note, it turns out that I've been mixing up Small Might's first and last name this entire time. These Japanese names will be the death of me :( I've thought about fixing it in the previous chapters. I've been using both names interchangeably in the narration, so I don't think that it's necessary. But if it bothers some readers, I can fix it. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading :3


	5. Mirai has an Idea...an Awful Idea.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirai comes up with a plan to get rid of the cats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter because I tried looking up writing tips on Pinterest. I wanted to improve my writing, but I ended up psyching myself out and I began to doubt my writing abilities. After reading and responding to more of the comments, I got the inspiration to finish this chapter and I think that I got my mojo back. 
> 
> I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter. Interacting with you guys in the comments means more to me then you know.

Down in the office kitchen, Mirai was muttering into a large pot of cream.

“...stupid...spoiled...feral...good for nothing….cats…”

If a person walked in and didn’t know any better, they would say that Mirai was summoning something sinister from that pot of cream.

“I just don’t see what he values in them!” he finally said coherently. “They don’t do anything but take up his time and energy! Surely there is something more productive that he can do with his time,” the man’s face fell with despair, “however little he has left.”

The cream mixture was starting to simmer, which meant it was time to add the rest of the ingredients. He pinched a vanilla bean from the cutting board and skillfully scraped the contents into the pot. He tossed in the empty pod into the mixture and added sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. While waiting for the mixture to come to a boil, he filled the tea kettle with water and placed it on the smaller burner.

Mirai pulled the tea tray out of the bottom cabinet and began preparations for the afternoon tea. He unfolded a piece of linen and smoothed it into the outer corners of the tray. He grabbed two saucers and two teacups from the upper cabinets, which were neatly stacked. Their colored patterns resemble that of All Might’s Silver Age costume, red and blue with a white trim and gold details. He grabbed the matching teapot, sugar bowl, milk pitcher, and linen napkins to complete the set. The saucers were unstacked and put in their proper place on the tray, then came the cups with the handles turned 160 degrees away from the teapot. The napkins were properly folded and carefully placed next to each cup.

Mirai clapped his hands together and inspected his handiwork. Everything was perfect...except...for the small wrinkle on one of the napkins!

He snatched it from its place and violently shook it in the air. He slammed it into the linen hamper and disgruntledly disassembled the entire tea set to start over. Now with everything back in its proper place, and with wrinkle-free napkins, all was right and in control.

“Nothing but perfection for our afternoon tea.” Mirai’s face was serene at the completion of the ritual. The sound of bubbling cream caught his attention and his face soured again.

“Well...almost perfect.”

The man turned down the heat to the pot of cream and he began to grumble again. “And now, he has me making them special drinks along with our afternoon tea. This is completely absurd! They are cats, what do they know of good tastes?” he reached over the kettle to open the medicine cabinet that held all of Toshinori’s medicine.

“They can’t even appreciate priceless merchandise without knocking them over!!”

As his long fingers touched the intended pill bottle, the tea kettle began to scream, shooting scolding steam out of its spout. Mirai howled in pain as the steam hit his arm and he instinctually jerked his arm back. This sudden movement caused an avalanche of pill bottles to fall from the cabinet and onto the kitchen counter. Mirai banged his good hand on the counter in frustration as the kettle continued to scream and the pain settled in his skin.

He jerked the kettle off of the burner and lowered his arm under the kitchen faucet. As the water cooled his burn, the kettle whistle died down and Mirai was able to take a deep breath.“I will need lidocaine, antibiotic ointment, and loose gauze to wrap this with,” he thought as the water continued to run over his burn.

“But first,” he said aloud, “...this mess.”

Mirai loosely wrapped a paper towel around his arm to dry it as he attempted to pick up the fallen prescription bottles. The medicine cabinet needed to be reorganized anyway. Yagi is on a new prescription regimen and the old medicines have to be taken out of the rotation.

With his one good arm, he began going through each of the bottles and reading their labels. Zofran, Epoetin Alfa, Keflex, Percocet…“What do those cats need with all of that money anyway?” Mirai thought as he started to put the contents of the medicine cabinet in order.

“With all of that money, I could start my own comic book company...write my own comic...hire my own staff. I can’t draw to save my life, but I can hire people to do that...”

The assistant was almost finished putting the pill bottles back into the cabinet, “If only there was a way to get those cats out of the way…”

He paused at the last pill bottle in his hand, “Not dead, just gone. Cats run away all of the time, especially strays like Shouta. Mr. Yagi cannot convince me that heathen did not attack me with a scarf! ”

He looked down to read the last bottle’s label. “Ambien? Ah, Mr. Yagi’s sleeping pills for his occasional insomnia. This must have been leftover from last year’s pill regimen.”

Mirai got an idea. An awful idea. A wonderful, awful idea.

“Poor Shouta,” Mirai said in a mocking tone, “...he must miss the streets terribly. How inhumane to keep such a wild animal captive indoors all day. He would be much happier in, say,” he thought for a moment,“...the apple orchard way out in the countryside."

He poured the sleeping pills onto the cutting board and crushed them with the side of his knife. “And those kittens,” Mirai continued,” would be lost without their protector, it’d be cruel to separate them from Shouta.” After crushing the pills into near powder, he scraped it all into the boiling créme de la créme and stirred.

“After a nice nap, they’ll wake up to a new life in the countryside, and away from my money, But what about Mr. Yagi?” he thought. “Surely he will question why I’m headed out the door with his unconscious cats.”

Mirai smirked spitefully as he spooned some of the spiked créme de la créme into the milk pitcher.“I think that today calls for a nice milk tea, maybe chai, with lots of cream,” Mirai smugly thought to himself.

Toshinori fell asleep at his desk all of the time, why should this drug-induced nap feel any different? He dropped two chai tea bags into the teapot poured some hot water in it to brew.

“No cream for me of course,” the man said as he put the tea kettle back on the stovetop, “I am lactose intolerant after all.”

A worrying thought briefly crossed his mind, “What if the sleeping pills negatively interact with his afternoon prescription pills?” Mirai shrugged off that thought, if something were to happen to Mr. Yagi, then he’d be that much closer to the millions. Mirai portioned out the créme de la créme into the cats' bowls to make sure that each cat received an even dosage. He walked over to the kitchen pantry to decide what else to serve with the tea.

“Some almond cookies would pair nicely with the chai spices,” he thought, “and it would help disguise the bitter taste of the pills.”

All was ready for afternoon tea. As Mirai put on the finishing touches, he hummed a mischievous tune, “Rock-a-bye kitties...bye-bye you go...la la la la, and I'm in the dough..."

At the end of the song, the tea was ready to be served and Mirai’s plan was about to be put in motion. With steady hands and a confident smile, Mirai lifted up the tray and started his climb up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: My mom actually dropped off my cat at an apple orchard when I was a kid. We were moving back to the US and my mom didn't want to go through the trouble of taking my cat through customs and on a plane. So she loaded the cat into the car, parked on the side of the road next to an apple orchard, and dropped her off. My mom said that the cat jumped right out of the car and into the bushes. So I hope that she's happy, wherever she is. 
> 
> Thank you life_is_gay and Tobitheninjakitten for the alley cats band suggestions. I have a final character list for the band and I can't wait to start writing about them. 
> 
> Now I need your help with Mirai Sasaski's fate. I can't decide what will happen to him in the end, so I'll put it to a vote. Now that you've all had time to get to know Mirai, my version of him anyway, type what you think should happen to him in the comments. Here are some ideas that I have been juggling with: 
> 
> A. Falls into an open chest and gets shipped to Timbuktu (such as in the original Disney movie)
> 
> B. Gets fired from his job
> 
> C. Gets arrested for animal abuse
> 
> D. Dies, somehow
> 
> E. Other (type in your own suggestion for this option, nothing too outrageous please)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


	6. Class is in Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since the kittens won't let Aizawa sleep, might as well continue with the lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so fun to write, be prepared for lots of Aizawa and kitten interaction!

“I need to go back to my office to get some work done before we can go home. It’ll be a little while until Mirai comes back with the warm drinks. So Shouta,” Yagi said to the adult cat, “ I’m counting on you to keep the kittens out of trouble until then.” The black cat chirped in affirmation and Toshinori turned to walk back into his office.

Shouta turned around to face kittens. “Alright,” He said in his monotone voice,” who wants to explain to me why I had to bare my fangs at a human ten times my size?”

Eri looked up with innocent eyes. “We were only practicing biting and clawing,” she said in her little voice.

The tired cat raised his eyebrow, “Biting and clawing?”

“Yeah,” piped up Hitoshi,” and we were chasing each other from behind the small table.” The lavender kitten gave Eri a pointed look,” then Eri pushed me into the wires!”.

Eri stood up, all one and a half inches of her, and bristled her fur. “I told you, me first!”

“Why do you gotta be first?” Katsuki questioned with his own raised eyebrow.

Eri sat down and turned her nose up at Bakugo. “Because I’m a lady, that’s why.”

Hitoshi scoffed at Eri’s haughty display, “You’re not a lady, you're nothing but a sister.”

“First of all,” Shouta said with a raised voice,” there is no need for therapy cats to practice biting and clawing. It’s unnecessary…”

“Well, she started it.” Bakugo interrupted.

Eri smugly shook her head and shoulders, “Ladies do not start fights, but we can finish them,” Eri said as she narrowed her eyes and scrunched her tiny nose.

“...And,” Shouta said with a raised voice to gain back his students’ attention. “Secondly, Katsuki Bakugo…”Shouta narrowed his eyes and addressed the kitten directly, “we do not bite the hand that feeds us.”

Katsuki flattened his ears to the sound of his teachers’ pointed tone, but he still kept his defiant glare. “But...he had Hitoshi in his hands…” the blonde kitten began to say defensively.

Shouta was having none of his students’ insolence. He stood over Katsuki and met his eyes with his red-eyed glare. “If you would have assessed the situation instead of charging in head-first, you would have realized that Yagi was helping, not harming.” Shouta lowered his head and inched towards the blonde kitten. “What were you thinking, attacking him like that? You’re still on soft foods and you think those teeth could do any damage?!”

Katsuki winced at his teacher’s words. “I was just trying to be brave like you…”

Shouta softened his expression. “I am only brave when I have to be.” He looked around to address all of the kittens. “Especially if my students are in danger. It’s one thing to be brave,” Shouta looked directly at Bakugo, “it’s another to be reckless.” The tired cat took a deep breath and heavily sighed.

“Now,” Shouta said in a lightened tone, “Since all of that is over, we might as well continue training.”

All three kittens collectively groaned.

The black feline gave his students a knowing look. “If you prefer, we could go over our time drills again…”

All three kittens cringed at the thought of going over every number on the clock and counting the seconds that go into a minute or the minutes that go into an hour. “No, sir…”

“Good.” Shouta turned away, effectively hiding his victorious smirk, and padded towards an armchair that sits across from Mirai’s desk. Without stopping, he leaped onto the colorfully patterned chair and turned to face his students. “Now pay attention. This week, we’re going over the different colors that appear on humans’ faces. These colors can help you determine a human’s wellbeing.” Using his tail, Shouta pointed to a green square on the upholstery. “Green means that a human is sick and might vomit.” His tail then pointed to a red-colored shape, “Red means that the human could be overheated.” He then pointed to a faded color in the pattern, “and pale means that they are faint and are about to fall over.”

“Color can also indicate emotions that the human is feeling,” Shouta continued, “like red can indicate that a human is angry or embarrassed…”

“Yeah, like how red the tall man got when you tangled him up in your scarf!” Eri piped up excitedly.

“That was awesome!” Bakugo chimed in. “How you came out of nowhere took down that moron like he was nothing! When are we going to learn stuff like that?!”

“I’m teaching you how to take care of humans, not how to take them down,” Shouta flatly answered.

  
“But Sensei,” Hitoshi inquired, “wouldn’t it be smart to learn self-defense? In case we do run into a human that wants to hurt us?” Hitoshi smirked. “Wouldn’t that be...rational?” The half-lidded kitten said in a mocking tone.

“Yeah, or if we meet a tough alley cat and we have to defend our territory!” Bakugo lurched forward and arched his back threateningly. “MRAIR! FR FR FR!” Katsuki snarled, but he spat up a little in his attempt. Both Hitoshi and Eri chuckled as he wiped his mouth sheepishly.

Amused, Shouta decided to give in to his students’ request. “I’ll tell you what, if you all can tell me which numbers the little line on the clock points to when it’s time for Yagi to take his medicine, then I’ll show you a self-defense move.”

All three kittens sat up at attention and said in unison, “The 7, 12, and 5.”

“What about the long line?” Shouta answered back.

“The big hand moves faster than the little hand, so we don't count on it. He only needs to take his medicine 3 times a day.” Katsiki retorted.

“Correct, does he need to take it every time the little line is on these numbers?” the black cat questioned.

“No,” Hitoshi answered,” only once per day and when the sun is up. At night, he doesn’t need to take any pills because his body is at rest. A body at rest is healing, So unless he has a seasonal cold, he just needs to be watched over at night to monitor his breathing.”

“Good Hitoshi, I can tell that the night training lessons are helping you improve.”

“Why does he get to have extra lessons?!” Bakugo snarled.

“Because Hitoshi doesn’t fall asleep at 8:30 at night,” Shouta retorted. The black cat dropped down from his upholstered perch and seated himself in front of his students.

“You each have unique talents that are suited for different aspects of therapy.” Shouta turned to address the blonde kitten. “Katsuki, you’re observant and you think well on your feet. This allows you to make quick judgments on a dime,” Shouta narrowed his eyes, “when you think them through enough.” Bakugo puffed out his chest and huffed a small breath.

Shouta looked down at the white kitten. “Eri, you’re affectionate and caring. This comforts Yagi and therefore improves his overall health.” The Eri smiled and mewed in appreciation.

“And Hitoshi,” Shouta said to the lavender kitten, “You are patient and calm. This allows you to make calculated decisions, even while under pressure.” Hitoshi lowered his eyes in embarrassment, but he couldn’t hide his smile. “And,” Shouta continued, ”you thrive at night. Which makes you better able to monitor and handle emergencies at night.”

Eri scrunched her eyebrows together in worry. “Nighttime emergencies?”

Shouta heard her concern etched into her voice. In a softer tone, he said, “He sometimes stops breathing in his sleep. You just have to stimulate his chest without waking him up.” Shouta kneaded the ground with his front paws to demonstrate what he meant by “stimulate”. “If he wakes up, then his heart will beat very fast and it’ll be difficult for him to go back to sleep,” the black cat carefully explained.

“Oh,” Eri said as she began to understand. “How do you know so much about taking care of humans?” She asked.

“Trial and error,” Shouta answered simply. Eri looked annoyed at her teacher. She was not convinced with that answer and neither were the other two kittens.

“You all know that curiosity killed the cat right?” Shouta said. Now all of the kittens shared the same half-lidded, annoyed look. Knowing that nothing would get done until they were satisfied with an answer, Shouta sighed and relented. “I’ve had to figure out a lot of things about humans in order to properly care for Yagi. Like how their bodies shiver when they’re too cold or how their hands shake when they haven't had enough to eat. All of this information is necessary for the sake of therapy. And when you all are old enough, you’ll be placed into new homes with new humans. Unlike other house cats, you’ll be able to make yourselves invaluable by providing care for the humans as they care for you. It’s an equivalent exchange that you all will be able to contribute to for your future caregivers.”

The three kittens starred solemnly at their teacher. The fact that they’ll eventually be put into new homes was not a secret. They’ve known since the first night that Toshinori brought them home from the shelter. Though this has been the plan since the beginning, it still saddens them knowing that they’ll eventually leave the only stable home that they’ve ever known.

The three were quiet for a moment, but silence never lasted long in that office. “Yeah, Yeah, we know, but what about taking humans down if we have to. We do have to learn how to protect ourselves, don't we?” Katsuki asked as he got into a pounce position. Eri playfully copied him and Hitoshi turned his ears forward in determination.

“Alright, Alright. I’ll teach you a move already,” Shouta said, grateful for the positive mood shift. He stood up and started to pace in front of the kittens. “Listen carefully, this is how I subdued Yagi’s assistant.” Shouta paused in front of Katsuki and brought his face closer to his students, “But this is for self-defense only! Got that?”

“Yes, sir!” The three kittens excitedly said in union.

“Good, now everyone line up.”

The kittens quickly stood up and lined up in front of their teacher. With plenty of space in between them, they sat at attention and waited for their teacher’s instructions. Impressed by their enthusiasm, Shouta continued the lesson. “Humans walk on two legs, which means that they can easily be put off balance. A simple trip can easily get them off their feet and allow you ample time to get away.” Shouta looked around and spotted some loose cables plugged into the wall. Luckily, they were not connected to anything, so Shouta was about to yank them free. “Most households have some sort of cord or long cloth lying around. For this move, you’ll need to be aware of your surroundings and locate one of these items quickly.” He chose one of the cords and padded over to the colorful armchair. With the cord still in his teeth, Shouta flung his head back and whipped the cord towards one of the chair legs. The cord hit the chair leg with an audible “WHACK” and quickly wrapped around the leg like a lasso. Shouta dropped the cable onto the ground and turned to address his students. “All you need to do is swing the cord length towards your target’s legs and it will naturally wrap around and trip them. Here,” Shouta tossed the rest of the cords towards his students, “you all try.”

After choosing their cords and a chair leg to practice on, the kittens began practicing the new self-defense move. Shouta circled around to monitor his students’ progress.“Like this?” Eri said through the cable still clenched in her mouth. She swung the cable at the chair leg, but she swung too lightly and it barely hit her target.

“Yes, but you need to swing it harder than that, now is not the time to be gentle.”

Shouta circled around to check on Katsuki. The blonde kitten violently whipped the cord up against the chair leg. When he couldn’t get his cord to wrap around the leg like his teachers’, he swung his cord rapidly against the wood out of frustration. “You're grabbing it from the wrong end Katsuki, you need to grab it further towards the end so that more of it can wrap around the target.” Shouta demonstrated by grabbing further down Katsuki’s cord and passing it back to him. “And you're swinging too hard, the point is to trip your opponent, not make a dent in their legs.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it!” Katsuki grouched as he tried again.

Shouta circled around to Hitoshi, who was preparing for his second attempt. He flung his head back, just as he saw his teacher do, and swung his cord towards the chair leg. It hit the wood with an audible “SMACK”, but failed to wrap around completely. “Good start,” Shouta praised, “but you’re too close to the target. In a real situation, you’d need to put plenty of distance between yourself and your opponent.” Hitoshi nodded and backed up a few inches. With determination in his eyes, he flung his head back and whipped the cord as hard as he could. It hit with a “SMACK” and rapidly wrapped around the leg four times.

“Good, the wrapping is a bit loose, but that was much better. It looks like you have the technique down,” the black cat praised.

“Show me how you did that!” Bakugo demanded.

“Me too, Toshi!” pleaded little Eri.

Hitoshi wasn’t used to this much praise and it made him nervous, but he backed up and repeated the technique. The wrapping was still loose, but it impressed his siblings none the less.

Shouta couldn’t help but beam with pride at his students. He would never admit this out loud, but he dreaded the day that his kittens will grow up and be placed in new homes. The thought of his kittens leaving the basket for good made tears start to prick in his eyes, but only a little.

The sound of Eri’s cheerful voice broke Shouta out of his thoughts. “You're so good at this Toshi! I wish that I could do it like you!”

“Don’t worry,” Shouta said as he stepped towards his kittens,” as long as you can get it to wrap around their legs, you can easily trip up a human, or at least slow them down. The trick is to grab the cord towards the end so that you have enough length to wrap up your target, but having too much length will make you lose control.”

“If you need to,” Shouta continued,” you can get a running start to put more power into your swing. This technique can also be used on other animals in a fight. Dogs, cats, pretty much anything with legs will be affected.”

“Is that how you got your scar sensei? The one on your face?” Hitoshi asked.

“That is a story for another day,” Shouta answered. “I think that’s enough training, for now, I think that I hear Yagi’s assistant coming up the stairs. Let’s go back into the other room with Yagi to wait on our afternoon snack.”

As the kittens made their way toward the door that lead into Toshinori’s office, Shouta gathered all of the loose cords and put them back where he found them. He padded towards the door but stopped at the door frame and looked back. He turned and sat down to watch for the tall man. He may be Yagi’s assistant, but Shouta does not trust Mirai for a second. Especially not alone with his kittens. Shouta couldn’t place it, but he had a bad feeling about Mirai.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I'm trying a new writing style where I write the dialogue first and then the action. Let me know if this is better or worse than previous chapters. 
> 
> Voting for Mirai's fate is still open. So far, a majority of you guys want Mirai to get arrested. You can vote more than once if you'd like, I still haven't made a decision. Here are the options that I have been juggling with:
> 
> A. Falls into an open chest and gets shipped to Timbuktu (such as in the original Disney movie)
> 
> B. Gets fired from his job
> 
> C. Gets arrested for animal abuse
> 
> D. Dies, somehow
> 
> E. Other (type in your own suggestion for this option, nothing too outrageous please)
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


	7. A Mad Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirai serves his tea, Toshinori finishes his drawing, and Shouta finally tells his story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends, long time no see huh? 
> 
> Just a quick warning before you start reading. This fic has been nice and fluffy up to this point. However, if you are familiar with the Aristocats plotline, you'll know that things are about to take a darker turn. I've placed a warning in all caps that will let you know when the angst will start. If you are like me, angst is harder to handle with the way things are now. So if you want to escape with some Aizawa kitty fluff, feel free to read up until you see the warning. 
> 
> Thank you so much Cuz_WHY_not for gifting me with a drawing of Aizawa and his kittens!!! I included the picture in this chapter, but I'm not sure if embedded correctly. If you can't see it, here's a link to the artist so that you all can see the work.
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/23210095/chapters/55564525 
> 
> Thank you all very much for your patience and enjoy :)

The sound of cables snapping against wood broke Toshinori from his concentration. He thought for a moment and decided, “Nope, I don’t need to know. If anyone was hurt, Shouta would get me.”

He turned his attention back towards the screen. “Will and Testament, Article II, Division of Personal Property…” He mumbled. 

He has already decided that his properties will go to Naomasa Tsukauchi, his lawyer and oldest friend. This includes the summer home and winter cabin in the mountains. Naomasa can sell or use the properties however he pleases. 

All of his stocks, bonds, and future merchandise profits will go to the Midoriya Rescue Shelter. It’s an animal shelter where Shouta was rescued and is run by a veterinarian named Dr. Inko Midorya. She is a kind and selfless woman that will do everything she can to save an animal. Since her husband died, it’s been a struggle to manage the shelter, pay bills, and raise her young son all on her own. When cashed in, the bonds alone could pay the rent, utilities, and day-to-day expenses of the shelter for the next five years. The stocks and merchandise profits can fund renovations for the shelter, as well as any possible expansions. An additional $30,000 will go into Inko’s personal bank account and $20,000 to go towards her son’s education. 

“That takes care of most of the humans in my life, now for the furry ones,” Toshinori mumbled to himself. He decided to take his lawyer’s advice and set up a pet trust for his cats. This way he can name the caregivers and set up a monthly allowance to pay for his cats’ expenses. Mirai would be the caregiver of course, but how much would it cost to take care of his cats?

“Let’s see,” he pondered, “I have four cats, which means that I have to multiply everything by four…” Toshinori took out a calculator and began adding the cost of his pets’ expenses, “There's the cost of their food, kitty litter, treats, toys, medicine, trips to the groomers…” He pressed enter and stared in disbelief at the number on the screen, ”Goodness, do I really spend that much on my cats?” The old artist sighed.

**_I also have to take into account their vet visits and possible illnesses as they age._ **

Toshinori knew too well how illnesses can rack up in an aging body. 

“Sooo…” he muttered to himself, ”That’s...$200 per month for basic expenses, including an extra... $100 in case anything unexpected happens. So that's roughly…$4,000 per year for another... twelve years? How long do cats live anyway?” 

Toshinori leaned his head back and used his hand to cover his eyes. “This is getting too depressing,” he groaned. 

The sound of tiny meows broke him out of his somber stupor. He peeked out from under his fingers to see three kittens scampering into his office. Toshinori smiled and leaned forward in his chair. 

Bakugo was in front, as usual, leading the other two into the cozy office. Eri got a mischievous look on her little face and began stalking towards the blonde kitten. Once she was close enough, she pounced on Bakugo and quickly scurried away with a meow of excitement. Bakugo picked himself off of the ground and chased after the younger kitten. Hitoshi took this opportunity to dive underneath the cushioned ottoman and waited. 

Eri zig-zagged across the oriental rugs with Bakugo not far behind. Eri ran towards the ottoman and circled it once, twice, three times with Bakugo hot on her trail. Once Eri circled around for the fourth time, Hitoshi leaped out from under his hiding place and pounced onto Bakugo. He fell under Hitoshi’s weight and began furiously swiping at his foster brother. The purple kitten playfully bit Bakugo's neck and Eri excitedly meowed at the play fighting. 

Toshinori took this opportunity and quickly got out his sketchpad and pencils. He flipped to the desired page and crossed his legs to have something to balance the sketchpad on. 

He was nearly done with his most recent drawing, a portrait depicting his beloved cats. The linework is done, all he has to do is finish coloring. Toshinori looked over the piece and he wasn’t too pleased with the way he shaded Hitoshi’s eyes. The artist carefully erased the undesired shading and selected a colored pencil from his collection. With the kittens preoccupied with each other, Toshinori was able to glance up and study them as a reference.

**_This is so rare...to be able to just sketch like this with no deadlines hanging over my head._ **

Toshinori selected a light-colored pencil to make highlights in Katsuki’s fur. 

_**Man, I used to do this all the time… just drawing for the fun of it…** _

The old artist picked up a charcoal grey pencil to add detailed folds into Shouta’s scarf. 

_**All Might was fun to draw, back when I had time to do everything by hand...but then expectations got high and publishers got impatient…** _

Tiny claws digging into his pant leg got Toshinori’s attention. He looked under his sketch pad to see a tiny white kitten clinging on his shin. Hitoshi was balancing his body on top of Toshinori’s leather shoe and Katsiki was swiping at his loose sock. 

“I guess you all got bored of each other…” He said out loud. He tore a blank piece of sketch paper and crumpled it up in his hands. All three kittens perked up to the sound of crumpling paper and raised up on their hind legs. Toshinori raised the paper wad up over their heads and tossed it across the room. Bakugo was the first to run after the wad and dive on to it, with Hitoshi and Eri close behind. 

With the kittens briefly distracted, Toshinori carefully lifted the lid off of the ottoman and started tossing out various cat toys. Katsuki has a lot of energy, so Yagi tossed something for him to chase. Hitoshi is sneaky, so he preferred something that made a noise when he snuck up and pounced on it. Eri always wants something soft to rub her face on. 

Toshinori walked over and bent down to pick up the wad of paper. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small, black figure in the doorway. Toshinori turned his head and realized that it was his beloved cat.

“Shouta!” He exclaimed, “There you are, don’t you want to play too?”

Shouta looked at Yagi from over his shoulder and seemed to briefly ponder the offer. The cat’s ears perked up to a noise and Shouta quickly turned his head towards the stairwell. Toshinori followed Shouta’s gaze and saw Mirai’s head peeking up from the lower steps. As he climbed higher, Toshinori could see Miria balancing a tray of refreshments. 

“Oh Mirai, do you need any help?” Toshinori offered.

“No sir, I’ve got it, thank you,” Mirai assured. The tall man ushered himself into Toshinori’s office. As he walked in, the kittens frolicked around his legs. They meowed excitingly as they hopped in between his feet and batted at his shoelaces. Shouta growled as he tried in vain to pick up the kittens and take them out from under the tall man’s feet. While trying to avoid stepping on the cats, Mirai stumbled forward and almost dropped the tea tray. Toshinori rushed to put his hands under the tray and help steady it. 

“Careful Miria,” Yagi said with concern. 

“I was, but these...kittens were tripping me up…” 

“Oh, they don’t mean any harm. Here let me get them.” Yagi picked up each of the kittens from around Mirai’s feet and placed them in the basket. Shouta quickly scurried over to the basket and curled himself around his kittens, ready to grab any of them if they tried to escape. 

“Kittens may avoid you like the plague initially, but they’ll want to be your friend as soon as they smell food. Here, let me clear off some space.” Toshinori gathered his sketching supplies and placed them back into a drawer. He shuffled around some papers and dusted off his desk to make room for the tea tray. Mirai carefully placed the tea tray down and sighed in relief that nothing spilled. 

“Mr. Yagi, were you sketching again?” Mirai said with hopeful eyes.

“Yes! I’ve finally finished that drawing that I’ve been working on.”

“Oh, is it a new character?! May I see?!” Mirai grabbed the spare chair from the corner and hurriedly scooted it next to Toshinoi’s desk chair. 

“Nothing new, but they are quite the characters.” Toshinori proudly held up his finished drawing up for Mirai to see.

< >

“Oh...how delightful…” the assistant said, trying to hide his disappointment. 

“Miari, you are brilliant at many things, but lying is not one of them. I know how much you wish that I write more comics, but I just don’t have the energy anymore. It’s not like when I first started The Symbol of Peace…”

“But I could help you,” Mirai interjected, “I have so many ideas for new stories and franchises! I could assemble a staff to do the artwork and storyboarding, you wouldn’t have to lift a finger and…”

Toshinori lifted his hand to silence the rambling assistant. “I’ve made up my mind, you and I both know that I may not have very long. So I’d prefer to spend my energy on something fulfilling.” The old artist smiled and reached over to pet Shouta’s head. The cat purred and rubbed his face up against the gentle hand. “You know, like helping others...” he reached down and gave each kitten a gentle scratch with his fingers, “...especially those who can’t help themselves. Do you understand?” 

Mirai stared emotionless at his boss. “Yes sir, I understand,” he said flatly. He reached over to the three prescription bottles on the tea tray and lined them up perfectly on the desk. He opened and shook each pill bottle until the correct amount of prescription fell into his hand. Mirai poured the pills into a medicine cup and placed it next to Toshinori’s teacup on the saucer. “I do believe it is time for your medicine,” Mirai said cheerfully 

Toshinori peeled his attention from his cats and back to his assistant, “Yes, you’re right. Thank you.”

Mirai picked up Toshinori’s tea and placed it in front of his boss. He took his own tea in his hand and stirred a sugar cube into it. “I poured some creme de la creme into the milk pitcher, it’ll pair nicely with the spices in the tea.”

“Thank you, that’s so thoughtful,” Toshinori said cheerfully. He picked up the milk pitcher and poured the spiked cream into his drink. He reached across to pour some into Mirai’s tea, but he was quickly stopped by frantic hands. 

“No no no sir, none for me, thanks!”

“Oh right, sorry, I forgot. You’re lactose intolerant, I apologize.”

“It’s alright sir, no need to apologize,” Mirai said with a strained smirk. He was nervously sweating as he watched Toshinori lift the teacup off of the saucer. Toshinori put the teacup to his lips but then put it back down.

“Is something wrong sir?” 

“Just a bit hot, I’ll wait for it to cool and then take my medicine. Speaking of medicine, it’s about time for someone else’s prescription too.” Toshinori reached down and scooped up Shouta in his hands. He sat the black cat in his lap and smoothed down his fur. Toshinori opened a side drawer and pulled out Shouta’s prescription eye drops. “I swear he is the only cat that I know with chronic dry eyes.” Yagi gently placed his hand on the top of Shouta’s head and maneuvered it up towards the ceiling. He squeezed the drops into each of the cat’s eyes and gently rubbed each eyelid to distribute the medicine. “I bet that feels better, huh?” Toshinori said as he rubbed his hands down Shouta’s neck soothingly. 

“Oh, before I forget,” Toshinori reached over and grabbed Shouta’s scarf from the far corner of his desk. “Here’s your scarf back, I forgot to give it back to you after untying it from Mira’s legs.” Toshinori carefully tied it back around Shouta’s neck, “There, so handsome.” Shouta purred in response but suddenly started growling. 

“What is it, friend?” Toshinori asked.

The black cat suddenly moved his body towards the cat basket and meowed threateningly. Toshinori glanced down to where Shouta was looking and saw Hitoshi attempting to sneak out of the basket. Shouta sternly meowed again and Hitoshi quickly crawled back to where his foster siblings were. 

“Wow, I couldn’t hear him at all!” Yagi wiggled his finger at Hitoshi teasingly, “Sneaky sneaky. But not sneaky enough to get past Shouta.”

Toshinori began petting Shouta, “Good job old friend. Did you see that Mirai? Hitoshi was so quiet but Shouta just knew that he was up to no good. He’s so attentive to those kittens.” 

“Yes, very...observant,” Mirai said with annoyance. He warily stared at the cat from behind his teacup. Shouta was staring back from the corner of his eye, which annoyed Mirai more. 

“Maybe we should go ahead and give the cats their snack, I'm sure it'll calm them right down,” Mirai said with a knowing look. 

“That’s a great idea, they do seem to have a lot of energy this afternoon,” Toshinori said. He helped Mirai lower the pet bowls onto the ground and watched as the kittens frantically tried to climb over the lip of the basket. Hitoshi and Bakugo pushed and climbed over each other until they both were successfully out. They rushed over and feverishly lapped at the spiked cream. Little Eri pawed at the basket’s edge, too small to climb over the steep sides. She meowed out of frustration. 

“Hold on Eri, I’m getting your food ready,” Toshinori wheeled himself over to the ottoman while still holding Shouta steady in his lap. He opened the lid and pulled out a small baby bottle and a canister of kitten formula. 

“Mr. Yagi…”

“Not now Mirai, Eri’s needs to eat,” Toshinori said as he wheeled himself back over to his desk. He opened the formula and poured the powder into the bottle until it reached a red line. He grabbed the teapot from the tray and poured hot water into the bottle. While holding a finger over the opening, he shook the bottle until the formula was evenly mixed. Toshiniori patted the cat on his lap and said, “Shouta, go fetch Eri for me.” 

Shouta hopped down from his human’s lap and padded over to the basket. He bent down and scruffed the tiny white kitten. After securing her in his scarf, he padded back over and sat next to Toshnori’s chair. 

“Thank you, Shouta.” He reached down and pinched Eri by the scruff. He lifted the wriggling kitten onto his lap and smoothed his hand over her back to calm her. Toshinori squeezed a drop of milk on his wrist to check the temperature. “Too hot. While it cools, I can go ahead and give you your ointment treatment,” Yagi cooed. 

Mirai began to sweat nervously. He looked down at the two kittens lapping up the spiked cream and back at Toshinori. 

_**If those kittens pass out before Mr. Yagi drinks his tea, he’ll get alarmed and I won't be able to execute my plan.** _

“Mr. Yagi…” 

Toshinori brought Eri up close to his face and inspected her front legs. He smiled warmly and said, “Your wounds have healed beautifully my dear.” Eri licked the man’s nose in response and Yagi gleefully smiled back. Shouta rose onto his hind legs and pawed at Toshinori’s arm. Toshinori looked down and lowered Eri for Shouta to see, “See Shouta, you can hardly see where the cuts were.” The black cat meowed and touched his nose up against Eri’s. 

“Alright Shouta, go have some creme de la creme, Eri will be done in a second.” Shouta dropped back down to all fours and padded over to the other two kittens. After briefly looking over the older kittens, he bent down and started lapping up the cream. 

Toshinori popped open a small bottle of ointment and rubbed the contents onto Eri’s front legs. “This ointment will prevent skin irritation where the fur is growing back. Mirai, do you remember how her legs looked when we first picked her up from the shelter? All wrapped up in gauze, poor thing. Dr. Inko said that they were practically sliced up like ribbon by her owner. I hope that Kai Chisaki pays for what he has done. Dr. Inko said that the fines alone might as well cost both of his arms, not to mention jail time…”

“Sir please, your medicine..” Mirai said with annoyance. 

“It can wait a few more minutes, I still have to feed Eri.” Toshinori tested the temperature of the formula again and frowned. “Still way too hot for her. Miria, can you get some ice? I need to cool this down so that it won’t burn her little mouth.”

Mirai grimaced at the constant delays. 

_**At this rate, the cats will be passed out by the time Mr. Yagi takes a sip. And that kitten formula isn’t spiked with drugs. She’s the loudest one out of the bunch! There’s no way I can keep her quiet enough to sneak out of the city without arousing suspicion. This isn’t good, I have to think of something...** _

Mirai smiled a wicked smile and addressed Toshinori with a knowing tone, “Sir, isn’t she a bit old for the bottle? Maybe it’s about time for her to be weaned?”

“You think so?”

“Yes sir, why not let her try the cream I’ve prepared?”

“That’s a great idea.” Toshinori lowered Eri onto the ground next to her foster siblings. He moved one of the pet bowls closer and dipped his finger into the cream, “Here sweety, lick this.” Eri looked at his finger questionably. She tentatively licked his finger and then attempted to suckle it. “Almost, try just licking it,” Toshinori cooed. He dipped his finger again into the cream and lifted it towards Eri’s mouth. As she was licking it, he slowly lowered it into the cream until Eri was just licking the liquid. 

“Good job sweety, you're doing it,” Toshinori praised. He lifted himself back onto the chair and scooted it closer to his assistant. 

“Sorry about that Mirai,” Toshinori took the medicine cup and poured the pills into his mouth. He then took a long sip of the spiked tea to help wash down the pills. “Now what did you want to talk about?” 

“Oh, nothing important,” Mirai smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up and started walking towards the door. “ I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Where are you going?”

Mirai held up his injured hand and said, “Oh, I had a small accident in the kitchen. I just need to wrap this up.” 

Yagi pursed his eyebrows together out of concern, “Mirai, you were injured all this time? Why didn’t you tend to it earlier? I could’ve waited.” 

“You are on a tight prescription schedule and this is just a small burn. I’ll be back up in a second.” 

As Toshinori sat back and listened to his assistant’s fading footsteps, he contentedly looked over at his cats and sipped his tea. 

_**Mirai is such a loyal assistant. He was such a godsend when I hired him to be an editor, and even more so since I got sick. I should leave him something in the will to help him start up his own comic. $500,000 should be more than enough to get him started.** _

_**What time is it anyway? I’m starting to feel drowsy…** _

_****************************_

_Aizawa’s POV_

Shouta looked up from his bowl to address his kittens, “How do you guys like the cream?”

Eri looked up and said, “This is yummy!” A thick coating of cream hung from her face as she spoke. It was dripping down her neck and into the rug under her feet. 

“I bet it’d taste better in your mouth and not on your face,” the black cat mused. 

Hitoshi looked up from his snack and yawned. When he was finished, Shouta could see sleepy eyes on the lavender kitten's face. More so than usual. 

“Tired already Hitoshi? Maybe we should ease up on those night classes.”

Shouta heard a cooing noise and noticed Bakugou yawning as well.

“Dammit,” Katsuki gripped, “Now you got me yawning!”

“Maybe you two should go rest your eyes in the basket,” Shouta said.

“No Sensei, I’m fine. But can you tell us how you got your scar now?” Hitoshi asked. 

“I told you that story for another time.”

“But this is another time! Come on, spill it while we’re still young,” Katsuki said with conviction. 

“Alright, but it’s not as exciting as you might think it is. I’m only telling this once, so listen up.”

***************************

WARNING- GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF BLOOD, GORE, AND VIOLENCE. 

_2 years ago_

A car horn startled Aizawa awake. 

“Humans and their noisy machines, it’s too early for this” the black cat groaned. 

Aizawa stretched his front legs and stepped forward to stretch his back. He crawled out from under his warm den and into the morning chill. He looked around the alleyway that made up his territory. The two walls were stacked high with brick and the ground was covered in concrete. His cardboard den leaned up against a high, wooden fence that separated the alley down the middle. It didn’t look like much, but Aizawa has had to fight tooth and nail to defend this space. Its location was considered a crown jewel amongst the feral cats in the area. 

It is situated in between two restaurants, Fat Gum’s Takoyaki and Lunch Rush Cafeteria. Today was Tuesday, for humans that meant that Lunch Rush will be serving fresh salmon for today’s special. For Aizawa, that meant that there will be plenty of fish carcass leftover from gutting in the garbage. 

Shouta pushed open a loose plank and pushed it tightly back into place. 

_**Wouldn’t want any unwanted visitors.** _

He padded into the neighboring alleyway and towards the line of garbage cans. Passing by each trash bin, seven in total, Aizawa gave each a quick sniff for the prized meal. 

_**No….no….not it.** _

Aizawa reached the end of the line and flattened his ears in annoyance. 

_**Did I get my days wrong again? I could’ve sworn that today was salmon day. Now, what am I going to do for food?** _

A sudden noise startled the alley cat. He darted behind some boxes that were stacked at the end of the line of trash cans. Peeking out from behind his hiding spot, He could see that the noise was caused by the side door of the restaurant opening. Out came a human wearing a strange metal mask and a tall white hat. Under one arm, the human had a bundle of yellow straps and he dragged a large plastic bag behind him. He stopped at the bin nearest to the restaurant door and removed the lid. With a huff, the human heaved the bag into the bin and tightly put the lid back. The human tied the yellow straps around the can and over the lid. This is something the humans do to prevent dumb cats from digging in their trash, good thing Aizawa isn’t dumb. The clever cat waited until he could hear the door slamming shut until he crawled out from his hiding spot. 

**_Just one sniff,_** Aizawa reasoned, _**and I’ll move on somewhere else.** _

Aizawa quickly scurried towards the trash bin wrapped in yellow straps. He rose up on his hind legs and inhaled deeply.

_**Jackpot!** _

Aizawa pushed against the trash can with his front paws to test the weight of the can, “Too heavy,” he thought. He looked up to inspect the other cans. 

_**I think I can make it.** _

Using the stacked boxes as stairs, Aizawa climbed on top of a trashcan and looked down the rest of the line. He lowered his body into a crouch and leaped forward. He landed onto the trash lid in front of him and leaped again. Hopping from can to can, he was building speed for his final target. 

Approaching the end of the line, he leaped for one last time and aimed for the edge of the wrapped lid. With the combined force of his body weight and momentum from the jumps, the clever alleycat forced the wrapped trashcan to fall over. Using his powerful back legs, he sprang forward and landed safely away before the can hit the ground. Aizawa looked back and proudly chirped at his accomplishment. 

The fall caused the yellow straps to unravel a bit and Aizawa was able to pull at them with his teeth.

_**This is more wrapping than usual…** _

After some untangling, he successfully got all of the straps off. In the process of prying open the lid, Aizawa got some of the yellow straps wrapped around his neck. That was the least of the cat’s worries, what mattered was the long-awaited meal in the bag. 

Aizawa rose up and stretched his claws over the top of the plastic bag and scratched large holes into it. The contents immediately spilled out and Aizawa was rewarded with the delightful smell of fish. 

_**I better take what I can get before the other alley cats get a whiff of this.** _

As Aizawa sorted through his prize and was eating his fill, his ears perked up to a jarring sound. This sound was guttural, low, unnatural, and it caused the fur on his back to stand on end. 

_**Was that a moan? No, a growl? A shrieking gasp?!** _

The part that concerned Aizawa the most was that it was coming from the street and it was getting closer! 

If it is another cat, one look from Aizawa’s red-eyed glare will send them packing. If it is something bigger, they will have to prepare for the fight of their lives. Regardless of what it is, Aizawa turned around to defend his meal. There was no way some scavenger was going to take advantage of the fruits of his labor. Aizawa crouched low to the ground and waited for the unknown threat to round the corner.

He could hear the creature’s disheveled steps scraping against the concrete, its large body cast an ominous shadow that extended across the sidewalk. Worst of all was its unnerving cry that got louder as the creature crept closer. 

Finally, the creature shambled into the alleyway opening and within Aizawa’s sight. Its hulking body stood against the morning sun like an eclipse. Its four, muscular legs bulked with power but struggled to coordinate simple movements. Its pointed jaw hung wide open, exposing its sharp canines. 

_**A dog, that’s a relief. I know how to deal with dogs.** _

Aizawa quickly grabbed the garbage lid with his teeth and geared his head to his side. He flung the garbage lid into the air and it launched into the side of the mongrel’s face. 

_**That’ll teach it to wander into my territory** _

Aizawa proudly waited for the dog to run away in terror, as they always did after being hit unexpectedly. 

The dog’s head recoiled at the impact, but there was little reaction other than that. Its body swayed slightly as it slowly lulled its head towards Aizawa’s direction. Aizawa’s eyes widened in horror as the dog revealed the side of its head. 

It was completely open...with brain matter exposed to the elements. Foamy saliva oozed out of its open mouth as a growl started from deep within the creature. Aizawa has seen this illness before. 

“Rabies,” Aizawa gasped. 

Before, the creature’s eyes were blank and vacant. But now they were focused and fixated on Aizawa.

_**He’s...too far gone...he’s beyond logic…I have to move...before he…** _

The rabid dog cried it’s hideous cry and charged for the black cat. Aizawa immediately turned and ran. 

_**I have to get away. I can’t let it bite me. If this dog does not kill me, its sickness will.** _

With the yellow straps still wrapped around his neck, Aizawa darted straight for the loose plank in the fence. There is no way the dog can fit through it. He’ll be safe once he passes through to the other side, except…

_**It only opens one way!** _

Aizawa realized this too late as he was quickly approaching the high fence with the rabid dog not far behind. 

_**Too high to jump, I need a new plan** _

Aizawa sped up and jumped onto the middle of the high fence. Using his back legs, he pushed himself onto the sidewall of the alleyway and landed back on the ground, facing the opposite direction. 

Aizawa continued running as he set his sights on his best chance of survival, the fire-escape. There was no way a dog could climb up that high. 

Aizawa looked back, expecting the dog to have crashed into the fence, but it was close on his trail. 

_**These damn straps are slowing me down! If I’m going to make this jump, I have to lose this load.** _

Aizawa grabbed a loose piece of yellow strap that dragged behind and held it in his mouth. Right before he started the climb up the box-stairs, Aizawa flung the strap behind him. 

The strap spun in the air and wrapped around the creature’s legs. The rabid dog fell forward into a barrel roll and crashed into the line of trash cans. 

Aizawa was on the third can by the time he heard the crash. He had to hurry, or else he would lose his one and only chance. 

**_Just a little further…_ **

The trash cans were falling like dominoes in rapid succession. Aizawa was almost below the fire-escape, he only had to jump. 

Gearing up to launch himself upward, he put all of his body weight into his front legs. The desperate cat set his eyes on the metal ladder above him but neglected to watch where he was stepping. His front paws landed in a gap between two trash cans and his front legs quickly fell through. 

With no time to pry himself out, Aizawa braced himself as the cans he was trapped in began toppling over. He yowled in pain as his body was forced forward with his legs still pinned. The bones snapped like toothpicks and he was unable to break his fall. 

Aizawa crashed to the ground in a lifeless heap, underneath piles of fallen garbage. Aizawa hissed through the pain as he used his shoulder and back legs to inch himself out of the wreckage. He crawled to the middle of the alleyway, then he heard the fallen garbage cans shift. 

The rabid dog rose from the wreckage and charged towards the wounded cat. Aizawa crawled as fast as he could, but it was not enough. 

The creature dove down and wrapped his jaws around Aizawa’s neck. Aizawa tensed up, anticipating teeth to tear through his flesh. The wounded cat was relieved that the remaining yellow straps, still wrapped around his neck, shielded him from the bite. 

This relief was short-lived as the creature lifted his prey off of the ground and slammed him back down. Over and over again, Aizawa’s face was slammed onto the concrete. Aizawa could taste the blood in his mouth. The pain was blinding. He tried to scratch his way out using his back feet, but he was all out of fight. 

Aizawa finally went limp in the creature’s jaws. The mongrel dropped him onto the ground reared back for the finishing blow. 

The creature was suddenly pushed away by an unknown force. With labored breaths, Aizawa pried his aching eyes open. The creature was forced onto its back by a cable at the end of a long pole. The last thing that the wounded feline heard before he blacked out was a human saying, “I finally caught you Nomu!” 

**************************

“And that’s about it. The next thing I remember is being in a cage with my front legs in casts and my face wrapped in bandages.” Shouta finished his story and looked at his kittens. All three of them had half-lidded eyes and their heads drooped. 

“Well...I didn’t think my story was that boring…”

Shouta suddenly heard a crash. He frantically looked around and saw Toshinori slumped over in his chair. His teacup laid in pieces on the ground and his head hung off to his side. 

“Hey? Hey!” Shouta called out. He darted towards his human and onto his lap. He batted at Toshinori’s face and meowed frantically. 

_**No response...shallow breaths...slow heartbeat…** _

Shouta bit at his human’s hand until he could taste blood in his mouth. He looked back up at Yagi’s face, but there was still no response.

Shouta sat back and lowered his ears.

_**What do I do?** _

“Sensei…I don’t feel so good…”

Shouta looked down at his kittens and his heart sank.

All three kittens were fading fast. Eri struggled to keep her eyes open, Katsuki was starting to nod off, and Hitoshi collapsed onto the ground. 

“Whoa Hitoshi?...Hitoshi?!!” Shouta dropped down from Yagi’s lap and rushed over to his student’s side. He pressed his nose up against Hitoshi’s neck to check his breathing and heart rate. It was the same as Yagi’s.

“Hey, what’s going on…” Katsuki slurred before he collapsed into his food bowl. 

“Katsuki?!” Shouta rushed over and picked his face out of the liquid. He licked Katsuki’s face until his airways were clear.

_**Were we...poisoned?!** _

“Shou...ta?” A little voice called. 

The panic-stricken cat looked up, “No, Eri?!” 

The white kitten was taking heavy breaths as her eyes slowly closed. 

Shouta started moving towards the young kitten when he suddenly felt heavy.

**_No, I can’t...I have to...stay awake...I have to protect them!_ **

He looked up to Yagi, at his kittens, and back at Yagi again.

_**I’m sorry...they need me more…** _

With heavy limbs and an even heavier heart, he picked up each of the kittens and stuffed them into his scarf. 

“It’s ok, it’s going to be ok. Please just… don’t close your eyes! Please!” 

Shouta was growing more exhausted by the second. He was taking shallow breaths and his eyelids felt like they weighed twenty pounds. He was too weak to run away. Too weak to think. He desperately looked around the room for a place to hide. 

He spotted the ottoman and staggered towards it. He lowered his head and let the scarf fall to the ground. He dove under the piece of furniture and turned himself around. He reached out and clenched a section of his scarf with his teeth. He tugged on the scarf and dragged until his kittens were safely under the ottoman. 

Now panting heavily, he sluggishly pawed at the scarf bundle until he could see his kittens’ faces. 

They were all unconscious, but at least they were still breathing. Shouta’s eyes were closing, when he heard a tiny voice calling to him. 

“Shou...ta...” 

Shouta strained to look up.

“I’m scared,” Eri said with tears welling in her eyes. 

“It’s ok...I won’t let anything happen to any of you…” Shouta slurred. 

Eri closed her eyes and her body went limp. 

“Eri…” Shouta pleaded. 

The last thing that Shouta saw before darkness took over, was the tall man’s legs in the doorway and the sound of a plastic bag being aired out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you all enjoyed the new chapter. This is the longest one so far, 32 whole pages! This is my first attempt at angst and action and I am really happy with how it turned out :)
> 
> The voting poll for Mirai's fate is over, thank you all for participating. A final decision has been made and I hope that you don't mind that I add a little twist :) I won't tell you the results, but I am thankful that no one wants him to die. 
> 
> I'm thinking about starting an Instagram for this account. I'm on Instagram all the time and I want a better way to connect to all of you and other AO3 writers, not just in this site's comment section. If you are interested, look up collateral_beauty2 the profile picture is the same as the one on this site. 
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6dbZspMV9/
> 
> On another note, I think some apologies are in order. I thought that with the quarantine and being stuck at home all day, I would have all of the time in the world to write. I soon discovered that being isolated killed my motivation and any creative thinking. On top of that, I can only handle angst in small doses right now, or else I'll fall into a "depression hole". If any of you can recommend some fluffy fics (I'm not too picky) I would appreciate it. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and stay safe out there <3


	8. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The assistant goes for a drive, Toshinori wakes up, and Aizawa builds a nest. 
> 
> A perfect storm brings howling winds of change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready y'all, this is going to be another long one :) 
> 
> Not much angst this time, but I will put a warning for a brief mention of blood. 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

Mirai had just finished applying a layer of burn cream on his hand when he heard the sound of a teacup shattering from upstairs. This was followed by Shouta’s frantic meowing that echoed through the halls. “I’ll have to wait until all of the cats go to sleep,” he stated,” before making my next move.”

As he wrapped his arm with sterile gauze, he listened for the cat’s cries to die down. Once there was silence, he prepared for the next phase of his plan. 

He washed and dried the tea set, wiped down the counter, and put away the bottle of Ambien. He peered outside the kitchen window and noticed dark clouds gathering in the distance. “I have to hurry,” he said, “...before it gets too rainy to drive.”

He grabbed a plastic bag from the trash on the way out of the kitchen and rushed up the stairs. 

Approaching his boss’s office with caution, he took in a deep breath and called out, “Mr. Yagi? Mr. Yagi are you ok?”

No response.

As he poked his head through the door and surveyed the room, he called out to his boss again, “Mr. Yagi?” 

Toshinori was slumped in his chair, head leaning off of the headrest and his arms dangled at his sides. His teacup laid shattered on the ground with the remaining spiked tea soaking into the rug. He snored loudly through his gaping mouth. 

Satisfied that his boss was unconscious, Mirai carefully stepped into the room and unfurled the plastic bag in his hands. 

“Cats, where are you?” he whispered mockingly. 

He glanced down and noticed Aizawa’s scarf wedged under the cushioned ottoman. 

“There you are,” he said as he aired out the bag, the plastic crinkling sinisterly in his hands. He looked down and his face soured at the realization. “A plastic bag? They’ll suffocate...”

He looked around the room for something else to carry the cats in. “I’m not a monster after all,” he reasoned. 

His eyes settled on the wicker cat basket and he bent down to drag it closer. Mirai reached down and tugged on the light grey bundle until it was out from under the ottoman. Sorting through the layers, he uncovered three unconscious kittens. 

“1...2...3… where’s the big one?” 

He got down on all fours and peered under the cushioned ottoman. There he found the black cat, eyes creased shut and mouth slacking open. Mirai smirked and stretched his long arm towards the black cat. With a grip of the cat’s front legs, he dragged the helpless creature out from under his hiding place and tucked him next to his kittens.

Using both hands, he cradled the feline family and placed them inside the basket. He sat back on his heels and sighed, “Alright, no turning back. I need to come up with a likely scenario.”

The assistant stood up and walked towards the cat bowls. 

“Let’s see, the cats...ate their fill and…Shouta noticed the open window,” Mirai whispered as he stalked towards the window next to Toshinori’s desk. With his good hand, he shoved the window open and jammed his elbow through the window screen. The screen popped out of its frame and tumbled down to the ground.

“With the screen knocked out…most likely by the incoming storm...Shouta could easily see outside and saw something to chase.” Mirai continued his hushed monologue with a mocking tone, “Driven by his natural, wild instincts...he simply couldn’t resist and ran off.” 

Mirai turned and began walking toward the basket when he suddenly heard a loud, crinkle sound. He froze and instantly turned his head towards his sleeping boss. Mr. Yagi laid still in his office chair, his gaunt chest moving slightly as he breathed in and out.

Mirai relaxed his shoulders and exhaled. He stood up straight and readjusted his tie. When he shifted his weight forward and he heard the crinkly sound again. He looked down and lifted his foot to reveal one of the kitten’s crinkle toys. 

Mirai’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. He scrunched his eyes shut, balled his fists, and took in a deep breath. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes again. Mirai raised his foot up and smacked it against the cat toy. The toy skittered across the floor and bounced off of the office wall, effectively moving out of the assistant’s way. 

“And of course...” he continued with annoyance, “Shouta would never go anywhere without his precious kittens. Shouta gathered them up in his scarf and ran off, far away from here!” 

Mirai adjusted his blazer, picked up the cat basket, and hurried out of the office without looking back. 

The assistant made his way down the stairs, out the back door, and into the courtyard where the vehicles are parked. 

With the cat basket in hand, he scurried towards his moped. It was parked next to his boss’s 1960 Aston Martin, one of the few things Yagi has ever splurged money on. Careful not to scratch the sports car, Mirai sat the basket down and turned towards his moped to prepare for the trip. As he was adjusting the straps on the luggage rack, he looked down and noticed the blonde kitten lazily staring back at him. Mirai quickly covered the cats with loose strands of the scarf and finished adjusting the straps. He bent down to retrieve the cat basket when he suddenly heard a cheerful voice call his name. 

“Is that you Mr. Sasaki? Hi Sir, how are you?”

Mirai jumped and looked up towards the courtyard gate opening. There he saw a tall, athletic young man wearing a highschool tracksuit. His blonde cowlick bounced up and down as he jogged in place. The bright smile he wore was practically blinding. 

“Oh...good evening Mirio, wh-what brings you out here?” Mirai said, trying to keep his voice steady. 

“Just on a night jog, I have to keep up my training for the track team!” the bright young man said. Mirio jogged over towards the assistant as he continued, “I have a meeting with an Olympic trainer coming up and he thinks that I have a real shot at competing next year in the long-distance run!” 

“Oh...is that so…” Mirai said, growing increasingly nervous as the teen got closer. 

“Oh yeah, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see what he says. I’ve been dreaming of competing in the Olympics since I was a kid.”

“Oh that’s nice,” Mirai said as he moved his body in the way of the basket. The moped was the only thing hiding the cat basket from view, but Mirai didn’t want to take any chances. 

“Oh yeah, I can see it now!” Miro reached his arms out in front of him to illustrate his vision. “Picture this, I’m walking through the dark tunnel into the stadium, and then boom!” Miro made a cheering crowd noise and waved his hands with glee. “There's confetti, fireworks, and tons of people cheering my name. I got my stage name picked out already, it’s Lemillion! The guy that can run for a million meters! Just thinking about it gets me all jazzed up! I can’t wait!”

The assistant rested his arms over the moped to further block Mirio’s view of the basket, “Uh-huh.” 

“My dad helped me design my costume for when I get to compete. I’d have to wear the Olympic uniform during competitions, but I can wear it at events and it’s going to make me stand out for sponsors. It’s going to be white with gold trim and a long flowing red cape, just like All Might in the bronze age series!”

“That’s great Mirio,” Mirai said with growing agitation. 

“Speaking of All Might, how is Mr. Yagi doing? I haven’t seen him at the shelter in a long while. I hope that those kittens aren’t too much of a handful. He sure is a nice guy!”

“He’s doing well, thank you, but…” 

“You know, I sure was worried when Mr. Yagi decided to foster those kittens,” Mirio interrupted. “Kittens that young need round-the-clock care and attention. That can be a bit much for a volunteer like me, so I was glad for the extra help, but Mr. Yagi already had Shouta. And Dr. Midoria said that alley cats can be territorial and might harm noisy kittens, but Shouta looks after those kittens as if they were his own. Isn’t that awesome?!” 

“Completely,” Mirah answered with a deadpan stare. 

“That’s his car right?” Mirio said as he walked towards the expensive sports car. Mirai quickly wedged himself in between the car and his moped to block the cat basket from view. 

Mirio stared in awe at the1960 grey Aston Martin sports car. “This is the same car from those old James Bond movies right? It’s so cool! How often does he get to drive it?”

“I’m not sure, Mirio, but I have to get going…”

“Say, do you mind if I pop in to see them real quick? It’s been so long since I’ve seen Mr. Yagi and the kitties,” Mirio asked with a smile.

“N-no no Mr.Yagi shouldn’t be disturbed…” Mirah stuttered. 

“It'll only take a second…” Miro said as he walked towards the back door. 

“Oh, uh...this really isn’t a good time, Mirio...”

“I’ll only say hi and I’ll go,” the blonde teen said as he reached for the door. 

Mirai panicked and quickly thought up an excuse. “Mr. Yagi is very sick!” He blurted out

“Oh, he is?” Mirio asked. 

“Oh yes! He caught a really bad cold. I wouldn’t want you to get sick...especially right before your meeting with a trainer,” Mirai reasoned. 

“Oh, good call!” Mirio said as he retreated from the door and began walking towards the gate. “Well, tell Mr. Yagi and the kitties that I said hi ok?”

“Very well, have a good night.”

“See ya, Sir!” Mirio said over his shoulder as he resumed his jog. 

Mirai waited until the teen’s footsteps sounded far enough away and he finally exhaled. “Phew, that was close,” he sighed, “Now I can get on with my plan.” Mirai quickly placed the cat basket on the luggage rack and tied it down with fastening straps. 

The assistant put on his helmet, mounted his moped, and drove out onto the city streets. Little did he realize that he had forgotten to tighten one of the straps that would have secured the basket to the moped. The strap fluttered freely in the wind, threatening to unravel Mirai Sasaki’s devious plan. 

************************************************************

On the outskirts of town, in an area known for its high crime rate and broken street lights, the owner of the LOV Bar was receiving a new shipment. 

“So these are the new batch of Nomus?” the bar owner asked, pushing his light blue hair out of his face. 

“Yes Mr. Shigaraki, they are a vast improvement from the last model,” the tall, well-dressed salesmen answered. 

The young man ran his tongue over his crusted lips. “The last one got rabies and disappeared, are these at least up to date with their shots Kurigeri?” 

“Yes sir,” Kurigeri said as he narrowed his large, yellow eyes, “and are well trained. They will obey your every command without hesitation.” 

“Good, I need good guard dogs to watch out for police. I host certain...activities here and I don’t want any interruptions.”

Kurogiri’s dark hair billowed in the wind like smoke as he answered, “Yes sir, these dogs will defend against any threat. They are bred to attack anything that wanders into their territory. All you have to do is assert that your bar is theirs to defend.” 

“Excellent, how do I get them to do that?”

The dark, shadowy man showed Shigaraki how to acclimate the dogs to their new territory. He anchored the dog’s chains into the building and showed Shigaraki how to release all the dogs at once if needed. Once Kurigiri was finished giving instructions on the Nomu dogs, he climbed back into his sleek vehicle and drove away. 

Shigaraki looked at his new pack of Nomu guard dogs, sitting uncannily still, awaiting orders from their new master. His skin was crawling with anticipation to try out his new toys. 

“Hmm,” he hummed, “I really don’t want to lose another one of these. Master wouldn’t like it,” Shigaraki grumbled and irritatingly scratched at his neck, trying to get an itch that he can’t quite scratch. “But I’m bored, I don’t like being bored,” he complained. “These are my Nomus and I will use them however I please. And now, I want to test them out to see if they’re worth the investment.”

Just then, Shigaraki heard the sound of a small, motorized vehicle driving from up the street. From the sound, he could tell that It was getting closer and would soon drive past the bar. 

“It sounds like one of those lame scooters. I hate those things, they’re so annoying. Like a mosquito humming in your ear. I don’t like them,” Shigariaki looked down at his new Nomu dogs and grinned sinisterly, “And it’s my right to destroy anything that I don’t like.”

Shigaraki stood and listened as the moped drove closer towards the bar. He waited until it was about to drive past when he reached for the dogs’ chains, “Attack.” 

*************************************************************

**_What an unsightly neighborhood_ **

Mirai Sasaki drove through the dark streets with caution. To save on time and hopefully beat the rain, he decided to drive into the outskirts of town. He could tell that he was in the right place by the broken street lights and heaps of garbage piled on the sidewalk. The hum of his moped drowned out the sounds of the neighborhood and he kept his head forward. He avoided eye contact with the few people wandering the streets, trying his best to not bring attention to himself. He was out of his element and he knew it, but he had a plan to execute and little time to do it. 

The night sky was getting darker, with ominous dark clouds forming overhead. He could feel the humidity building in the air and the smell of rain was getting stronger. 

**_I need to hurry! The bridge that connects to the countryside is just down this street._ **

Mirai paid little attention to the boarded-up buildings that zipped by, except for one dimly lit bar. It wasn't especially eye-catching, Mirai was driving too quickly to get a good look. What did get his attention were the three humongous dogs that were chained out front. A man with light blue hair held the thick chain in his hand and stared menacingly as Mirai drove past. Mirai looked back and watched in horror as the man released his grip on the chain and released the dogs. As if flipping a switch, the three beasts suddenly charged into the streets and towards the racing moped. 

Mirai whipped his head forward and twisted the throttle as far forward as possible. The moped roared to life as it sped up, leaving the bar far behind. Mirai looked over his shoulder to find the three ferocious dogs close behind. Mirai jiggled the gas throttle frantically, but the moped was already going at its top speed. He could hear the beasts’ powerful legs pound the pavement as they drew closer. They barked furiously, the sound overpowering the whir of his modest moped. He could feel their ravenous gaze, hungry for blood and carnage. 

Despite their wild appearance, these beasts were well trained. They spread out wide into a triadic formation. Two of them positioned themselves on either side of the target, while one stayed in the back. The Nomus at Mirai’s sides were close, so close that their gnarly teeth glistened in the moped’s headlight.

Mirai tried in vain to scare the dogs off, swerving his moped from side to side and flinging his arms in their direction. This only agitated the beasts, they gnashed their jaws at the man’s flailing limbs in retaliation. 

Mirai’s mind raced with panic.

**_What am I going to do?! I have nowhere to go! I’m trapped!!!_ **

The moped was rapidly approaching the stone bridge that leads into the countryside.

Mirai was growing more desperate as the Nomu dogs grew bolder in their pursuit. The dogs began biting at the vehicle’s wheels and bumper, anywhere they can sink their teeth into. Mirai was running out of ideas. 

**_Maybe if I swerve within the bridge rails, I can at least slow down one dog and only have to worry about the other two..._ **

In Mirai’s desperate attempt to shake off the dogs, he swerved his moped onto the bridge and towards one of the inner rails. 

At that same moment, the Nomu trailing behind noticed the loose strap fluttering in the breeze. Unable to resist, it launched itself up and clamped down on the strap with its tremendous jaws. Using its body weight as an anchor, the Nomu locked its jaws around the strap and yanked back. 

With the motorized scooter suddenly yanked backward, Mirai was launched off of the moped and over the bridge wall.

The tall man landed face-first into the shallow water. He gasped for breath and scrambled towards a bushel of cattails to hide from the dogs. From his hiding spot, he could just barely spot the ravenous dogs. The bridge walls obstructed his view, but he could tell that they were viciously attacking something. The tearing and crushing sounds made him nauseated, but he dared not to move from his spot. 

The carnage eventually died down and silence filled the air. With their bloodlust satisfied and their target nowhere in sight, the Nomus trotted back to their master and left the wreckage behind. 

Mirai waited until the dogs were out of sight before beginning his crawl out of the shallow water. He continued his crawl up the river bank and onto the dirt road on the opposite side of the river. He got back onto his feet and inspected his body for injuries. Relieved that he only sustained bruises and scrapes, he made his way back onto the stone bridge. He found his moped and was relieved to find that it was all in one piece. Upon further inspection, there was only one dent in the front bumper, which is surprising considering that he was traveling at top speed. 

**_What on earth were they attacking then?_ **

He looked further up and spotted something that made his skin crawl.

The wicker basket that contained the cats was now in splinters. The dogs had torn it apart until it was unrecognizable. What haunted Mirai the most was that there were no remains of the cats. No blood, no bones, nothing.

**_Did the dogs swallow them whole?! That could be a possibility, the beasts were huge…but what happened to the scarf?_ **

The sound of thunder snapped him out of his thoughts and Mirai was reminded of the impending rain. The assistant pulled the moped upright and walked it back onto the road. He weighed his options and decided that it was safer to go the long way back to avoid running into the dogs. He was already wet from falling into the river, so being caught in the rain wouldn't make him look too suspicious. 

He looked back at the remains of the basket. 

**_This didn’t exactly go according to plan, but the cats are gone. I suppose this counts as a success._ **

Mirai mounted his moped and drove back to the office building without looking back. 

If he did look back, he would have spotted Shouta Aizawa, lying unconscious on the river bank. In the crash, the cats were launched over the bridge wall and safely into the brush below. As the dark clouds rolled in and the thunder rumbled overhead, the felines’ predicament became even more uncertain. 

**_*****************************************************************_ **

**_Everything…..hurts……_ **

**_My legs……... I can’t …..move them….._ **

**_Why can’t I open my eyes?........Am I blind?!.._ **

**_It….hurts...am I going to die?_ **

Aizawa was jolted awake to the sound of deafening thunder. Something was covering his eyes and he couldn’t see anything. He frantically batted at the cloth covering his face and freed himself from its bindings. When he could finally see, he looked around with wide, scared eyes. 

“See...I can see…” he gasped. 

He breathed short, quick breaths that kept pace the sound of his racing heart. He looked down at his front legs and was relieved to find them straight and unbroken. He wiggled his front toes and smiled that he could move them without any pain. He calmed his breathing to long, slow breaths. “It was just a dream, I’m ok,” he sighed. 

His relief was short-lived when he looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. 

“Trees...grass...water, I’m not at home at all. Where am I?” 

Aizawa looked at the cloth that blinded him moments ago. It was only a loose strand of his beloved scarf, the rest was piled nearby. He took a hold of the loose strand and nuzzled into it for comfort. The familiar smell of his kittens filled his nose and he was suddenly filled with dread. The black cat shot up to his feet when he realized that he was missing something important. 

“The kittens!!” 

His eyes darted around rapidly as he searched for his missing students. He perked his ears out wide as he called out to his missing students.

“Children where are you?! Answer me!” 

He jumped onto a log and lifted himself as high as possible to see all around him. He moved his ears in every possible direction to listen for signs of his kittens. 

“Katsuki...Hitoshi…” he called. With no answer, his voice grew frantic “Eri! Please, where are you?!”

“Here I am Sensei…” A little groggy voice called out. 

Aizawa’s breath hitched as he looked towards the source of the sound. He quickly darted off of the log and towards a thick, prickly bush. After moving some leaves aside, he was able to reveal a tiny white kitten trapped in between two branches. 

“Eri,” he sighed, “Eri are you alright?” Shouta reached up and retrieved the groggy kitten from out of the bush. 

“Yeah, I guess that I got a nightmare and fell out of bed,” Eri said as she was gently placed next to the scarf pile. 

“No Eri, we’re not at home right now…”

The kitten’s scarlet eyes grew big and her tiny ears lowered in worry, “Where are we? Where’s Yagi?” 

“I’m not sure, but don’t be scared…”

A small voice called out from within the tall water reeds, “Sensei! Sensei!” 

“That’s Toshi!” Eri said. 

“Hitoshi, where are you?” Shouta called out, “Follow the sound of my voice. We’re right over here!”

“I’m coming Sensei…,” Hitoshi said as he waded through the watery, grassy patch, “I’m-m cold and I’m w-wet…” 

The reeds were so tall and thick that the purple kitten couldn’t see past them. He wandered in the direction of his teacher’s voice when he heard a deep croak from the nearby. “Sensei?” He called out fearfully. Another loud croak came from right behind the kitten, startling him into a panicked sprint. “Sensei!!” he screamed. He ran until he was free from the tall grass and could see his family on the river’s shore. 

The frightened kitten ran into Shouta and hid behind his teacher’s legs. “It’s ok Hitoshi, it was just a frog,” said Shouta. 

“But it was really loud and close and I couldn’t see it!”

Shouta sat down and wrapped his tail around the trembling kitten. “I know, we’re in a strange place,” he assured.“Look at you,” Shouta sighed, “you’re all soaked.” Hitoshi was drenched from head to toe. Water dripped off of the kitten’s whiskers as he shivered. Eri giggled at the sight. 

“Oh, what’s so funny?!” Hitoshi griped. 

Eri grinned and said, “You are, you look like a drowned rat!”

“Eri, hush,” Shouta said sternly. He licked Hitoshi until the lavender kitten stopped shivering, but his fur was still very wet. “This will have to do for now. Did you see Katsuki in the reeds?” Shouta asked.

“No, I couldn’t see anything,” Hitoshi answered as he lowered his ears. 

“It’s alright. You two stay here, I’ll go look for Katsuki.” Shouta wandered along the shore and began calling for his lost kitten, “Katsuki? Katsuki where are you?”

“Katsuki?” Eri called at the top of her voice. Hitoshi joined her and they called out together, “Katsuki! Katsuki!” 

Aizawa’s scarf began to shift and move as the blonde kitten peeked his head out from under the layers. He yawned and grumbled, “Hey! What’s all the yelling about, huh?”

Eri and Hitoshi turned around and frowned at their foster brother. “Why didn’t you answer?” Hitoshi questioned with a raised eyebrow. 

“Sensei!” Eri called out. “He’s been here the whole time!”

Shouta turned around and sighed in relief, “Oh thank goodness.” He trotted back over to his kittens and picked Katsuki out of the scarf pile. “Katsuki are you alright?” Shouta asked. 

“Yeah, I was having a weird dream. We were all riding and bouncing along in ……..frogs? Dammit, it wasn’t a dream. Mirai did this to us.” 

“No way,” Hitishi sneered, “maybe you fell on your head Katsuki.” 

The blonde kitten growled and raised the fur on his back, “I saw it with my own two eyes, Eye-Bags! You weren’t even awake!”

Just then, thunder boomed through the sky. Shouta flinched and the kittens jumped.

Little Eri backed herself up under Shouta and hid behind his legs. “Sensei, I’m afraid. I want to go home,” she said with tears in her eyes. 

“It’s ok Eri,” Shouta said in a comforting voice, “It’s going to be alright…” 

Thunder clapped through the sky again, it was so loud that it made the air vibrate. The cats looked up at the sky in shock as heavy raindrops showered on the ground around them. 

“Everyone under the bridge, now,” Shouta ordered. He grabbed his scarf off of the ground and herded his kittens under the stone bridge. Shielded from the rain, the cats shook the water from their fur. The wind howled against their stone shelter and the kittens shivered from the sudden cold. 

**_We’re out of the rain, but we’re still exposed to the elements. If they go on any longer with wet fur, they’re going to get sick. Plus, we have nowhere to hide if a predator decides to wander in._ **

**_I need to make a nest._ **

He found a dry spot and nudged his students into a small patch of grass. He placed a paw over them and gently pushed them down. Hitoshi and Katsuki piled themselves onto Eri, further hiding her from sight. 

“Remember what I taught you. Stay low, stay close, and stay quiet. I’ll be back in a minute.” Shouta took his scarf and laid it on top of his students, “Try and stay warm until I get back.” He then turned around and walked out of their stone shelter, disappearing into the rain. 

The kittens huddled closer together, trembling in their teacher’s absence. They listened closely for any signs of Shouta’s return, sorting through the sounds of the outside. The wind bellowed, the rain pattered, thunder rumbled through the sky, but there was no sign of their teacher. 

Hitoshi broke the heavy silence with a whisper, “It’s been too long, he should have been back by now.” He nudged Katsuki with his shoulder, ”Hey Hot-Head, what’s going on out there?”

“How am I supposed to know?!” Katsuki growled. 

“You’re feral, aren’t feral cats supposed to be one with the wild or something?” Hitoshi asked cynically. 

“I was born on the streets, not in the woods! I can’t help you Firepaw, I don’t know shit about the outdoors!” Katsuki growled in a hushed tone. 

Hitoshi narrowed his eyes in annoyance, “Don’t be an ass, it’s just a question.” 

“And what about you Mister night training?!” Katsuki mocked, “Don’t you have super night senses or whatever?!” 

The lavender kitten squinted his dark eyes into the darkness, then he lowered his ears in dismay. “I can’t see or hear anything past the rain, it’s like a loud curtain. And it’s already washed away his scent, I can’t smell anything but water.” 

“Great…” Katsuki grumbled. 

The kittens were silent for a moment until Hitoshi spoke up again, “He’s coming back right?” 

“What?” Eri gasped

“What if…” Hitoshi started. 

“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Katsuki hushed. 

“I’m just saying, what if he doesn’t come back. Then what will we do?” Hitoshi asked. 

“Nothing! He said he was coming back, so he’s coming back. That’s that.” Katusiki puffed out his chest to emphasize his words. 

“He wouldn’t just leave…” Eri gasped, voice full of bewilderment. Her ears flattened and her fur bristled the more she gasped for air, “...he wouldn’t!” The white kitten began to squirm from under her siblings. 

“Eri stop!” Hitoshi demanded. 

The young kitten wiggled out from under her siblings and ran out towards the rain with her brothers not far behind. 

“Come back runt!” yelled Katsuki. 

“Shouta!!” Eri wailed. With tears stinging her eyes shut, she kept running until she suddenly ran into something. Eri picked herself off of the ground and fearfully looked up, but was instantly relieved to see her teacher’s face. In his mouth, he clenched huge leaves that were larger than him. His black fur was dripping wet from the rain and his red-eyed glare pierced through the darkness of their shelter. He dropped the leaves onto the ground and spoke slowly in a low, authoritative voice. 

“I gave you all simple instructions. Stay low...stay close...and stay quiet. What part of that was unclear?” 

The older kittens immediately lowered themselves in submission, but Eri perked her ears up. “You...you came back,” she said gleefully. 

“Of course I came back. Where would I go?” Shouta asked, confused. Eri’s scarlet eyes grew wide and she started to snivel.

Concerned, Shouta dropped down to her level. With a gentle low voice, he asked, “Eri, What happened?”

Eri sniffled and hiccuped, “Hitoshi said that you might not come back. That you’ll leave...”

Shouta looked up in confusion at Hitoshi. “Hitoshi,” Shouta asked, “why would you say that?” The purple kitten recoiled and avoided his teacher’s gaze. 

**_Hitoshi..._ **

Eri’s whimpers drew Shouta out of his thoughts. “Please, please don’t go…” she begged as she closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face. 

“Eri, look at me,” Shouta gently said. The white kitten reluctantly opened her eyes and looked back at her teacher. “See? I’m right here,” he gently touched his forehead up against hers, “I came back like I said I would. Just breathe for me.” Eri was gasping, but quickly calmed down and got her breathing under control. 

He looked up at the older kittens, who uneasily stared back. 

“All of you, come here,” Shouta said. He sat up to allow all of the kittens to come closer. They all settled in front of him and looked up with worried filled eyes. 

“Listen to me carefully,” he said slowly and precisely, “We are far from home. I don’t know where and I don’t know why. But now is not the time to lose our heads. We are all here and we’re all together.” He bent down and made eye contact with every kitten as he said this, “And I am not...going ...anywhere. Understand?”

The three kittens nodded their heads. 

“Good, any questions?” Shouta asked. 

“What’s going to happen to us?” Katsuki solemnly asked. 

Shouta was caught off guard, but he answered, “I...I don’t know...but don’t you guys worry. I won’t let anything happen to any of you.”

“I wish that we were back with Yagi right now,” Hitoshi added. 

“Me too,” Shouta sighed, “He’s going to be so worried when he finds us gone.”

The three kittens looked up with even more distress. Eri started to tear up again. 

**_Oh jeez, I made them worry more. Way to go Shouta…_ **

The black cat stood up and put on an upbeat voice, “Alright guys, you know what time it is?”

The kittens looked at their teacher confused. Without warning, the black cat shook the water from his fur, making his students flinch as the water splash onto them. “Bath time.” 

“Oh come on really? Now? Even out here?!” Katsuki growled.

“Especially out here. We have to keep ourselves clean and healthy. So you all get started while I make our bed,” Shouta instructed. 

The kittens attempted to lick themselves dry. Hitoshi and Katsuki had little trouble, being able to bend and contort themselves pretty well. Eri on the other hand experienced more difficulty. She fell over when she tried to lick her back and rolled backward when she tried to lick the back of her legs. She got what she could as Shouta prepared the nest. 

**_Ugh, it’s been a while since I made one of these..._ **

Shouta picked up his scarf, which was surprisingly dry, and looked for a flat stretch of ground that he could build the nest on.

**_I haven’t built a nest since I lived in that alley…_ **

When he found a good place, right up against the stone wall, he laid out his scarf on the ground. The black cat kneaded the cloth until it was spread out enough for all of them to fit in. 

**_Even then, I was always making one for myself. I never had to share it with anyone else._ **

He went back to retrieve the large leaves that he collected from the riverbank and dragged them back to the scarf. He took each leaf and lined them around the edge of the scarf and leaned them up against the stone wall, creating a lean-in hut. He layered the outside of it with grass and smaller leaves to camouflage it from predators. 

**_Now, it's different. I’m not alone anymore. I have kittens to think about. Kittens that need me._ **

He stepped back and looked over his creation. Satisfied that will keep out the elements and other dangers, he turned towards his students. “Alright guys, it’s time for bed.” 

The kittens scurried over and stopped in front of the hut. They looked at the hut, then at Shouta with puzzled faces. Aizawa sighed, “I know it doesn’t look like much, but trust me, it’ll keep us safe.” He padded over and picked little Eri up by the scruff. He climbed into the makeshift nest with Eri, circled around once, and laid down. He released Eri’s scruff and looked back at Katsuki and Hitoshi, “What are you two waiting for, an invitation? Come in.” 

The older kittens were still unsure until another gust of wind blew through. They trembled at the sudden cold and quickly climbed into the nest. As soon as their paws hit the bedding, they instantly felt the heat warm their chilled bones. The wind continued to howl outside, but they couldn’t even feel a breeze from within the nest. The two kittens looked around in wonder. 

“Don’t look so surprised,” Shouta said. 

“How’d you get it so warm in here?” the blonde kitten asked. 

“Practice, I wasn’t always a house cat you know,” Shouta answered. “Now, finish your baths and get ready for bed.” 

Hitoshi and Katsuki got settled and resumed licking themselves dry. Shouta wrapped his paws around Eri and drew her closer to him, “Come here, I’ll help you with your bath.”

“I reached what I could,” Eri said. 

“I can see that,” Shouta calmly praised. 

“Yeah, but I fell over a lot.”

“It’s ok,” Shouta assured, “It just takes practice, that’s why I’m here.” The black cat began grooming the young kitten, getting all of the places that she couldn’t reach. As he groomed, Eri licked her paws, thoroughly cleaning her tiny pink toe beans. 

“All done,” Shouta said. 

Eri rolled onto her back. When she looked up at Shouta, he noticed that her eyes were still red and puffy from crying. 

“On second thought,” Shouta said with a knowing smile,” it looks like I missed a spot.”

“Where?” Eri said, tilting her head. 

“Here!” He nuzzled her tickle spot on her belly with his nose. Eri squealed with delight and batted Shouta’s head with her little paws. She wiggled and squirmed until he stopped tickling. Her infectious giggle continued even after he lifted his head back up. 

Shouta looked at Eri and was pleased to see all traces of sadness gone from her face, all that remained was her smile. “Now, all better,” Shouta smirked. 

With the last of her energy spent, the young kitten yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes with the back of her paws.

“Alright, time for bed,” Shouta gently said. 

Eri yawned again and rolled over onto her feet. She padded over to Shouta’s side and curled herself into a tiny roll. 

Shouta looked over to his older kittens, Hitoshi was mostly dry but Katsuki was still wet and matted in some places. “Hey you two, finished yet? You’ll need your rest.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m about done,” Katsuki grumbled. He licked the back of his paw and rubbed it up against his face. 

Shouta tilted his head to his side and said, “Come here, I’ll help you finish up.” 

“No, I got it,” the blonde kitten scowled. 

“I know you do, but it’s late and we’ve all had a long day. If I help, then you can go to sleep sooner. Sound fair?”

The blonde kitten frowned, but he couldn't deny that his eyelids were getting heavier. “Fine,” Katsuki relented, “just make it quick!”

He padded over and plopped in front of his guardian, allowing Shouta to finish grooming him. Katsuki tried to keep a straight face, but Shouta could tell that the blonde kitten was enjoying the attention. Katsuki’s shoulders relaxed, his blonde fur unbristled, and his ever-present scowl turned into a slight frown. Shouta can even detect a slight purr coming from the blonde kitten. 

“Alright, all finished,” Shouta said. 

Katsuki slowly blinked his eyes open. His whole body was relaxed and he even had a slight smile on his face. After a good shake, Katsuki’s scowl returned and he sheepishly grumbled, “Thanks.” 

“You’re welcome,” Shouta said.

“Yeah, yeah. Can I go now?” Katsuki asked.

“Yeah, go and get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”

“G'night,” Katsuki muttered as he padded over to where Eri settled. He laid down next to her and wrapped himself around her, turning himself into a barrier against the outside world.

Shouta started grooming himself when he noticed something purple in the corner of his eye. He looked over and saw Hitoshi, sitting in the nest’s opening, staring intently outside of their shelter. 

Shouta raised his eyebrow. “What do you think you’re doing?” he inquired. 

“Keeping watch, just like in night training,” Hitoshi responded. 

“Not this time.” Aizawa hooked the purple kitten with the crook of his paw and tucked him under his arm, “You’re going to sleep.” 

“But...what about you?!” Hitoshi said as he struggled against his teacher’s hold. “You need to sleep too.”

“Don’t you worry about me. You just get your rest.” Aizawa gently licked Hitoshi’s face and around his eyes.

“Sensei?!” Hitoshi said as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his paws.

“Stop fighting,” Aizawa said in a soft, low voice. “We’re going to need all of our strength for tomorrow.”

“But…,” Hitoshi started to argue. 

“Shhh,” Aizawa tucked the reluctant kitten closer into his chest as he began to purr. Hitoshi resisted for a bit, but the lull of his teacher’s purr was too much and he relaxed. “Hitoshi, I meant what I said out there,” Shouta whispered. 

“What?” Hitoshi asked, his sleepy eyes getting heavier and heavier. 

“That I am not going anywhere, I meant it. So don’t worry about me leaving, you can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

Hitoshi smiled and nodded that he understood. He nuzzled his face into his guardian’s chest and settled. The purple kitten finally succumbed to sleep and Aizawa sighed. He peered out into the vast unknown, “What am I going to do?” He picked his head up and perked his ears out wide. He closed his tired eyes to hone in on the faintest of sounds. They are in unknown territory and Aizawa needs to be on guard for any potential dangers. 

**_This is going to be a long night..._ **

**************************************************

**TRIGGER WARNING: BRIEF MENTION OF BLOOD**

The heavy rain poured in through Toshinori’s open window. The old artist was slumped haphazardly in his chair, still unconscious from the spiked tea. His head hung off of the headrest, his arms dangling at his sides, and he snored loudly through his gaping mouth. His gaunt chest heaved as he painfully gasped for breath, struggling to get air into his weak lungs as he slept. 

His chest rose as he inhaled again, but his breath got caught in his throat. He choked and wheezed, his body struggling to clear his airways. His gasps for breath became shorter and more desperate as the seconds ticked by. 

Just when his chest tightened and his limbs began to stiffen, deafening thunder clapped through the sky. Toshinori suddenly sat up, sputtering and coughing until his airways clear. He cupped his hand around his mouth, trying to catch the blood and saliva that was gushing out of his mouth. He sheepishly looked around his desk for something to wipe his hands on. 

**_Not again, did I really fall asleep in my chair again? I really have to be careful about overworking myself._ **

After locating the tissues, he wiped the fluids from his hands, cleaned what he could from his clothes, and discarded the mess. 

**_Usually, Shouta and the kittens wake me up before I start choking in my sleep. Where could they have gone?_ **

Just then more thunder boomed overhead, startling Toshinori into another coughing fit. He swiveled his chair towards the window and noticed that it was wide open. Rain poured in like a waterfall and the sounds of thunder echoed through the room. While pressing the back of his hand to his mouth as he coughed, he scooted his computer chair towards the open window. Using the window’s ledge as support, he hoisted himself out of the chair and stood up in front of the open window. Raindrops spattered all over his face as he reached up above his head and pulled the window shut. 

With the raging storm muffled, Toshinori was finally able to sit down and catch his breath. He fished out his handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth.

**_When did I open the window? Isn’t there usually a screen that blocks the rain? Odd…_ **

Toshinori sluggishly stood up and stretched his long limbs. His mind was still groggy from the drugs and he couldn’t think clearly. He shook his head and gently slapped the sides of his face, but he couldn’t get the mental fog to clear up. 

**_Why am I still so tired? I fell asleep twice today, maybe I’ve overslept?_ **

The rain was hitting the glass window like pellets and the wind howled against the building. 

**_This is turning into a really bad storm. What a terrible night…_ **

“Shouta,” Toshinori called out, “Ready to go home?” The old artist started his search for his kitties. He made a visual sweep of his office in case they were laying out in the open. He noticed the food bowls on the ground and saw that they were still full of cream. 

**_It's not usual for Shouta or the kittens to leave a food bowl empty… Oh, I hope that no one is sick._ **

Another round of thunder shook the building, followed by lightning that briefly filled the room with light. “Shouta,” Toshinori cooed, ”did the thunder spook you? Are you hiding the kittens away from the noise?” 

He went to check all of the usual hiding spots: under the desk, behind the bookshelf, in the leftover merchandise boxes, but there was no sign of his cats. 

He laid his eyes on the ottoman, Shouta’s favorite place for hiding the kittens.

“Now, now kitties,” he cooed soothingly as he got on his hands and knees, “Don’t be frightened, the storm will soon pass…” Toshinori lowered himself down to the floor and peered underneath the ottoman, but there was nothing but empty space. “Shouta?” He asks anxiously. 

He sat upon his knees and looked around the room and called out, “Shouta? Kittens? Where are you?” 

He got up and searched through the office once more. He lifted pillows, looked behind doors, moved stacks of books around, he even lifted the rugs, all while calling for his cats, “Shouta? Katsuki? Hitoshi...little Eri?” 

Yagi became more frantic as he searched throughout the building. He looked in Mirai’s office, the coat closet, the storage room, the pantry, and in every cabinet in the office kitchen. Toshinori checked every nook and cranny he could think of, but his beloved cats were nowhere to be found. 

“I...I don’t...I don’t understand...where could they be?!” he panicked. “They’re...they’re gone!”

Toshinori was startled by the sound of the back door swinging open. He rushed out of the kitchen and looked to see that it was Mirai Sasaki, his most trusted assistant. 

“Mirai!” Yagi said, “Oh thank goodness you’re here! Something terrible happened...oh, you’re all wet…”

Mirai looked up at his boss with disbelief as he dripped water onto the carpet. He was not expecting Mr. Yagi to be awake, much less at the door, “Oh, Mr. Yagi...Yes um...You’re awake…” he stammered. 

“Yes, I woke up and I can’t find Shouta or the kittens anywhere! I-I’ve looked in my office, your office, the closets, the kitchen… everywhere!” Toshinori’s voice shuddered with emotion, ”They’re gone and I can’t find them! Have you seen them anywhere?” 

Mirai started to sweat. He wiped the moisture off of his face as his mind raced for a response, “Y-yes, I...in fact that’s what I came in here to tell you! I was getting ready to go home and then it started to downpour and I think that I saw them outside!” 

“You did? Are you sure?” Yagi asked gleefully. He rushed past Mirai and peered through the small glass window on the door. 

“I’m... not positive, it is dark out there and the rain is only getting worse…”

“But why would they be out there?” Toshinori asked, “It doesn’t make any sense...”

“Perhaps they got out somehow?” Mirai said inconspicuously. 

“But how? There’s no way...unless…” Toshinori’s eyes widened in horror. He spun around and looked at Mirai in shock, “The window! Oh no!! I must have left the window open and Shouta and the kittens got out!” 

Tears welled up in Toshinori’s eyes, “Oh this is all my fault!” he moaned. He buried his head in his hands. 

“Mr. Yagi, don’t fret,” Mirai said as he placed his hand on Yagi’s shoulder, “I’m sure that it’s not your fault that they ran away.”

Yagi looked back up at his assistant with tears smeared on his face, “But where? Why?! This is terrible! Anything could happen to them on a night like this! G-Get washed down a storm drain...struck by lightning…Oh, they’ll need help!” 

Toshinori yanked his raincoat off of the coat rack and quickly threw his arms in the sleeves. 

“Mr. Yagi, what are you doing, it’s storming out there! You’ll make yourself sick!”

“I have to go out there and look. I’ve just got to find them!” Toshinori said as he pulled the hood over his head and reached for the door. When he pulled the door open, the force of the wind slammed the door against the wall. He shielded his face and marched out into the courtyard. 

“Mr. Yagi, please! Wait!” Mirai pleaded. Mr. Yagi didn’t listen and continued to march out into the storm. Mirai grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen, threw on his own raincoat, and rushed out after his boss, “I-I’ll come with you!”

“Shouta! Kittens! Kittens!” Toshinori yelled. He waded through the strong winds that were painfully pelting raindrops up against him. His only source of light came from the street lights and the occasional flash of lightning. He wandered out of the courtyard and onto the city sidewalk. He started walking down the pathway that runs toward the outskirts of town. 

Mirai saw this and panicked.“Wait!,” he yelled,” I-I think they-y went this way!” 

He shined his flashlight on the sidewalk that leads in the opposite direction. “Come now, we have to hurry!”

Mirai jogged along the sidewalk, leading Yagi away from the stone bridge or anywhere else that might expose him and his true motives. 

Toshinori blindly followed his assistant through the raging storm, determined to bring Shouta and the kittens back home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: When mom cats groom their babies, it promotes bonding and is very relaxing for the kitten. 
> 
> So I had to update the character list, I'm sorry if your favorite was removed. I was going to cast the League of Villians as the dogs that attack Mirai, but it got too complicated and confusing. Like most of you, I just want to have some fluffy Dadzawa moments, so I had to make some changes.
> 
> It occurred to me that sections of this chapter could've been posted separately. However, I worked so hard and for so long on this that I did not want to further delay sharing it. For future reference, please vote in the comments if you: 
> 
> A. Prefer long chapters with multiple sections, such as this one
> 
> B. Want me to post each section separately
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope that you all stay safe and well <3


	9. Hizashi the Alley Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hizashi Yamada has entered the chat :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ain't ready for this 😆
> 
> Here's a quick glossary of a couple of cat terms that I'll be using:
> 
> Tom/tomcat = male cat  
> Seal points = coloration on an animal, like patches or spots
> 
> Enjoy 😁

Aizawa blinked his tired eyes against the morning light. Rays of sunshine peeked out from the horizon and painted streaks of color into the sky. A new day was dawning, bringing light back into the world. 

The black cat looked back at his kittens, who slept peacefully at his side. The rest of the night was uneventful, leaving the family undisturbed for some well-deserved rest. 

Everyone except for Aizawa of course. He didn’t sleep a wink, staying alert, and ready to strike at any moment. He moved his painfully stiff body out from under the nest, careful not to disturb his sleeping kittens. He breathed in the dewy morning air and watched his clouded breath fade away. 

He peeked his head back into the shelter and was pleased to see his students still resting. He gently nudged each kitten to one end of the nest until the scarf bedding was exposed. He slowly inched it out from under the kittens until it was free. Despite being moved around, the kittens remained at rest and Shouta was thankful. 

**_They’ll need all of the rest that they can get. There is no telling what today will bring._ **

Aizawa padded out from under the stone bridge and into the morning light. He sat down and closed his eyes as the sun’s rays warmed his fur. His skin twitched and rippled until the night’s chill left his body, leaving room for the day’s warmth. He slowly inhaled through his nose, exhaled out of his mouth, and opened his eyes to the scene before him.

The river babbled peacefully over the river stones, glittering sunlight along its rippling waves. The last of the crickets quieted down from their night’s ballad and the birds starting chirping overhead. Everything else was still and quiet. The scene was so picturesque, but Aizawa’s head was full of worry. 

**_What am I going to do?_ **

His mind was fatigued from lack of sleep, but this did not stop his thoughts from racing. 

**_How far away from home are we? How did we get here? How do we get back? How long will it take?_ **

Without thinking, Aizawa began to pace back and forth along the river’s edge as more questions came to mind.

**_Where are we going to get food? Do I need to find milk for Eri? What if one of us gets hurt? Will we even be welcomed back home?_ **

Aizawa stopped and looked down at the water below him. The reflection that stared back caught him off guard. His eyes were bloodshot, his under-eyes were darker and his fur was disheveled and unruly. 

**_Not my best look._ **

Aizawa sighed. 

**_I can’t let them see me like this. Normally I couldn’t care less about what I look like, but I need to ground myself for a minute and relax._ **

The exhausted cat looked back down at his reflection and began grooming himself. With the help of his tongue and claws, he managed to tame the tousled fur on his body. He dipped both of his paws into the river and splashed the cool water into his eyes. He repeated this until his eyelids no longer felt like sandpaper. He pressed his wet paws against his eyes and breathed deeply, allowing the coolness to soothe his skin. 

Aizawa slowly opened and blinked his eyes until the world around him seemed clearer. He found his trusted scarf at his side, but it was tangled from being used as bedding. He ran his paws from one end of the fabric to the other, smoothing out the wrinkles and sorting through the knots. Once satisfied, he coiled the scarf around his neck until it loosely settled on his shoulders. 

Aizawa looked back down at his reflection and was pleased to see that he looked somewhat presentable. With his mind cleared and his nerves calmed, he began weighing his options.

**_Ok, what is my next step?_ **

********************************

_Hizashi POV_

Strutting his way down the country dirt road was an exotic, blonde siamese cat. His flawless golden fur shimmered in the early sun and was contrasted by his light brown seal points. The striking markings on his ears, tail, and legs contained the golden glow that would have enveloped the rest of his body. He wore a confident smile on his angular face, along with an expertly styled tuft hair that stood up past his ears.

The jazzy tune that the cat was humming made his feet bounce as he walked. As the song’s tempo picked up, so did his moves. His head bobbed from back and forth, his hips swayed side to side, and his tail twirled in the air. He hummed louder and with more finesse, letting the song grow and come to life. Words slipped out from under his breath, “ _Yoshino de Lacy….Hiroyuki Casey….Yamada Hizashi...Hizashi the alley cat…”_

By the time the stone bridge was in sight, the cat’s swagger turned into a full-fledged dance. The song had grown so much that he couldn’t contain it anymore, so he let it out.

_I like a chee-chee-chee-chee-rony_

_Like they make at home_

_Or a healthy fish with a big backbone_

_I'm Yoshino de Lacy_

_Hiroyuki Casey_

_Yamada Hizashi_

_Hizashi the alley cat!_

The Siamese cat was overcome with so much spirit and joy that he closed his eyes and twirled. When he opened his eyes and looked out towards the river, he suddenly froze.

A mysterious figure sat on the opposite shore. 

Startled, Hizashi quickly ducked down into the bushes and made himself deathly quiet. He crept forward, careful not to give himself away, and peeked out from behind the branches. What he saw took his breath away. 

Across the river sat the most beautiful tomcat the blonde had ever seen. This cat was tall, dark, and oh so handsome. 

He appeared to be grooming himself at the water’s edge, combing his claws through his dark tousled fur. The black cat’s powerful muscles flexed as he contorted himself to groom his body. He bent over backward and exposed his broad chest. Then he leaned over and started grooming the fur on his legs, stretching the muscles as far as they could go. The sight captivated Hizashi and gave him goosebumps. 

He felt guilty about spying on the unsuspecting cat, but Hizashi just couldn’t look away. 

The black cat dipped his paws into the river and splashed the water into his face. Each time, the water would cascade up and around the cat’s head, creating a halo of reflected twilight. Droplets clung to the tips of his dark fur and sparkled like stars against a dark sky. The only flaw this mysterious cat had was a moon-shaped scar that rested under his eye. To Hizashi, It was the one and only indication that this cat was a mortal being and not some sort of a celestial deity.

**_He’s so beautiful!! I have to talk to him! Maybe he likes music? I could sing him a song to get his attention!_ **

Hizashi took deep breaths and steadied himself

**_Ok, just be cool. He’s just a tom, just like you. You can do this._ **

The blonde creeped out of the bushes and stood up tall. He cleared his throat and began sauntering towards the mystery cat. 

**_Alright just be cool...a cool cat. Yeah!_ **

  
  


*******************************

  
  


Aizawa was lost in thought when he heard a strange sound, no a tune, that blared from across the river. 

**Is that...music?**

Aizawa looked up and found a blonde siamese cat on the opposite side of the river, strolling on the road near the river’s edge. The cat smiled confidently and started to sing again.

_I'm Yoshino de Lacy_

_Hiroyuki Casey_

_Yamada Hizashi_

_Hizashi the alley cat!_

The spirited melody resounded through the air with lively intensity. It disrupted the once peaceful and quiet scene and filled it with energy and rhythm. It startled Aizawa and put him on edge. 

**What is he doing?!**

The exotic cat sauntered towards the stone bridge. He jumped onto the stone railing and continued his song as he strolled his way across. 

_I've got that wanderlust_

_Gotta walk the scene_

_Gotta kick up highway dust_

_Feel the grass that's green_

_Gotta strut them city streets_

_Showin' off my eclat, yeah_

_Tellin' my friends of the social elite_

_Or some cute cat I happen to meet_

_That I'm…_

_Yoshino de Lacy_

_Hiroyuki Casey_

_Yamada Hizashi_

_Hizashi the alley cat!_

**Is he, serenading me?! He does know that I’m a male right?**

When the blonde cat was across the river, he hopped onto the cherry blossom tree branches that hung over the river’s shore. He slid further down the branches and lightly tapped on the budded ends. Petals fluttered all around Aizawa like snow, drifting onto his fur and collecting in his scarf. Without looking back, Aizawa positioned his body in front of the nest to obstruct its view from the unknown feline. 

**Well if he does think that I’m female, then the kittens are in danger. Tomcats can see kittens as competition and kill them.**

**I can’t let them be seen.**

Back at the nest, the kittens were awakened by strange music from outside. They peeked their little heads out of the opening of the nest and were captivated at what they saw. 

“Check it out, a real alley cat!” Katsuki exclaimed in a hushed tone. “Do you think Sensei and him are going to fight?” 

“I don’t think so,” Hitoshi quietly answered. “Why is he singing?

Eri, charmed by the blonde tomcat’s theatrics, shushed her brothers, “Shh, listen!” 

Hizashi slid down the trunk of the cherry tree. Once on the ground, he continued his serenade and sauntered toward Shouta. 

_I'm king of the highway_

_Prince of the boulevard_

_Duke of the avant-garde_

_The world is my backyard_

_So if you're goin' my way_

_That's the road you wanna seek_

_Tokyo to Rome or home sweet home_

_In paradise_

_Magnifique, you all_

Hizashi smiled at Aizawa and asked, “So, how did you like my singing?”

Aizawa stood up tall and looked at the Tomcat dead in the eye. “That was a nice song,” he said sternly. “I’m sure it impresses all of the ladies. But I'm not a lady. So it would be best if you took your show out on the road.”

“Is that so? Well, today must be my lucky day then. You see, I’m not much of a ladies’ man.”

“You...You’re not?” Shouta stammered. 

“Nope,” Hizashi said with pride. “In fact, I prefer the company of fine felines like you!” 

Shouta was not amused. He glared at the tomcat with his steely, red-eyes. 

Hizashi cringed and thought to himself, “Oof, that’s a look.” 

“Fine felines?” Shouta mocked in annoyance. “Now I know that you’re scratching up the wrong tree. I don’t see any “fine felines” anywhere around here.”

Hizashi internally panicked

**_This isn’t going well! I’ve got to slow things down and change up my tune._ **

“Hmmm, That’s too bad,” Hizashi teased. “I was really hoping to meet this handsome tom that I saw down here. I spotted him from the road and I just had to run over here and talk to him. Did you happen to see him? I tried to speak to him, but he was so breathtaking that I was at a loss for words and I had to sing instead.”

Shouta was caught completely off guard. “You thought he was, breathtaking?” 

“Oh yeah, I mean the gods really must have broken the mold. It’s like his body was sculpted out of marble and then coated with fur more divine than darkness.”

Shouta blushed so hard that he hid his face in his scarf. He peeked over the fabric and whispered, “His fur was, divine?”

“Uh-huh,” Hizashi said, amused by the black cat’s sudden bashfulness. He leaned in closer to Aizawa and spoke in a low, soft voice, “And his eyes, why they were like rubies, sparkling so bright, they made the twilight radiant...and light.” 

**_This guy is shameless!!!_ **

Back in the nest, the kittens thoroughly were enjoying the show.

“How romantic,” Eri whispered.

“Sissy stuff,” Katsuki complained.

“Quiet!” Hitoshi shushed, “They might hear us!”

The blonde tomcat looked at Shouta with eyes full of mischief. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find a tom like that,” Hizashi teased,” Would you?”

**_Alright, I’ll humor him_ **

“I... may have some idea,” Shouta said coyly. 

“Purrfect,” the blonde purred, it was so deep and low that Aizawa could feel it on his skin. It made him shiver. 

Hizashi opened his mouth to sing again, but this time, he lowered his voice and relaxed his tone. The song that came out was slow and sultry. It flowed into Aizawa’s ears like warm honey, so sweet and smooth. The two looked into each other’s eyes and began to circle one another. They matched each other’s movements, almost like a dance, mirroring each other as the blonde cat sang.

_I only got myself_

_And this big old world_

_But I sip that cup of life_

_With my fingers curled_

_I don't worry what road to take_

_I don't have to think of that_

_Whatever I take is the road I make_

_It's the road of life, make no mistake_

_For me,_

_Yeah, I'm Yoshino de Lacy_

_Hiroyuki Casey_

_Yamada Hizashi_

_Hizashi the alley cat_

The blonde cat paused and leaned in close, _“That's right, and I'm very proud of that. Yeaahh.”_

Aizawa was silent. He tried to say something, but he couldn’t make the words come out.

“I see that my solo has rendered you speechless, “ Hizashi teased, ”Did a sea witch steal your voice? What can I do to get it back?”

**_Say something idiot!!_ **

Aizawa cleared his throat and said, “Your singing was, really nice.”

“Really?” Hizashi said, a little too enthusiastically. “I mean of course it was,” he corrected, “I made that song up myself.” 

Shouta smiled, amused by the blonde cat’s feigned confidence. “Well,” he said coyly, “it wasn’t Shakespeare, but it was...poetic.”

Hizashi’s grin grew wider. “Well if you like that one, you should hear my other songs. I’ve got a den nearby that we could go to for a more, private performance.” 

For a moment, Shouta thought about how nice it would be to be swept away by this charming tom. Then he remembered everyone that was counting on him. “Thank you,” he said with his eyes pressed shut. He opened them and looked at Hizashi apologetically, “Thank you, but I have other responsibilities to attend to.” 

“Anything that I can help with?”

“No, no I...wait...your ear, it’s clipped,” Shouta said with astonishment.

“Oh, this thing? It’s nothing, you should see what other marks I have on my body.”

“No, that clip means something, you’re neutered?”

The question caught Hizashi off guard. He cleared his throat and stammered, “I prefer the term ‘Balless and Flawless’, but I was hoping to get to know you better before we got into any of that stuff.”

“No...I mean, that got done somewhere. At a vet’s?”

“Well yeah, at the one in town. The doc was really nice. Gave me food and a place to crash for a couple of days. What was her name? Doctor...Midaria?”

“Midoria, yes!” Shouta exclaimed.

**If we can get to the vet, the doctor can call Yagi and he can take us back home!**

“Can you take me to her?” Aizawa asked hopefully. 

“To the vet? Are you sick, Twilight?” Hizashi asked with concern. 

“No, it’s just really important that get to her office. Can you show me the way?” Aizawa asked more urgently. 

“Show you? Perish the thought! We shall fly there on a magic carpet, side by side, with the stars as our guide. Just us two…” Hizashi was briefly glancing over Shouta’s shoulder, when he noticed three little kittens peeking between large bundles of leaves, “...three...four...five?” 

“What?” 

Hizashi motioned toward the hidden kittens, “Who are they?”

Shouta looked back in horror. 

**_No_ **

The blonde tomcat started walking towards the kittens, “Hey little listeners, where did you come from?” 

Shouta rushed in front of Hizashi, putting himself in between the kittens and the tomcat. He arched his back and growled, “Don’t even think about it!”

“Whoa whoa, What’s with the teeth?” 

“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!” Shouta’s fur stood on their ends like needles. His eyes were so red, they burned into Hizashi. 

“What are you, oh…”

**_He has a family! Of course he does, I’m such an idiot!_ **

**_Other responsibilities...somewhere important to be...KITTENS...he probably has a mate and everything! Why are the pretty ones always taken?!_ **

“Don’t you touch them! Stay away!” Shouta growled. 

“Hey, hey no. I would never,” Hizashi calmly assured, “I don’t want to hurt your babies. I’m not that kind of guy.”

Shouta was not convinced. He flattened his ears growled deeply. 

“Look, watch,” the tomcat lowered himself onto the ground and rolled over on his back, exposing his vulnerable underbelly in submission. “See? I mean no harm.”

Perplexed, Shouta stalked forward. The blonde made no moves to stop him, not even when he was suddenly pinned down by the throat. “Hey, easy daddy.”

“Shut up,” Aizawa ordered. 

Hizashi looked up at Shouta’s face and saw red eyes full of anger. But beyond that, he saw fear and worry. “Look, I know that you just want to protect your family. But it looks like you guys are in a tight spot. At least let me point you in the right direction,” Hizashi reasoned, “Ok?” 

Just then, a stray ray of sunlight hit Hizashi just right, causing his blonde fur to glisten like gold. The tomcat squinted his brilliant green eyes against the sun, making them sparkle like precious jewels. 

For a moment, Aizawa forgot how to breathe. 

**_God, he’s gorgeous_ **

Hizashi carefully reached up with his paws and gently placed them over Aizawa’s. “Please, let me help you,” Hizashi whispered. 

Aizawa looked deeply into the blonde’s eyes for any signs of deception but saw no malice, only kindness. He lowered his face until it was inches away from the blonde’s. A blush crept onto Hizashi’s face and his heart raced in his chest, but he dared not to move. Aizawa whispered into Hizashi’s ears, “Keep your distance, I’ll be watching you.”

“Do you promise, Twilight?” Hizashi asked with a cheeky grin. 

Shouta stifled a smile from creeping on his face. “Don’t press your luck,” he answered. 

“Got it,” Hizashi assured. 

Shouta eased off of the tomcat and calmly retreated to his kittens. The blonde slowly stood up, careful not to startle Shouta again. He watched as Shouta gently coaxed the kittens out of their hiding spot. One by one, they stepped out of the nest and stood close to their teacher. Shouta scruffed Eri and tucked her safely in his scarf. He looked back at Hizashi and waited for his response. 

Hizashi smiled at the little family. “So, you need to get to the vet’s office? Lucky for you guys there is a road up that hill that leads directly into that part of town. Just follow the road until you run into something familiar.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. If you want, I can go with you and show you the way myself. The offer still stands for a magic carpet ride.”

“No thanks, we’ll manage,” Shouta answered. 

“Alright then, be safe.”

“...You too,” Shouta said quietly. Hizashi sat still as Shouta walked past with the older kittens in tow. 

Katsuki stopped in front of Hizashi. “Hey mister,” he growled as he arched his back up, “I’m a tough alley cat too!” 

“Hey there,” Hizashi said while getting down to the kitten’s level, “You’re really coming on. I’ll bet that you’re a real tiger in your neighborhood.” 

“Damn right! That’s because I practice a lot!”

“Katsuki let’s go, we’re losing daylight,” Shouta called from the top of the hill. 

“Coming!” Katsuki groaned back. 

“See you around, tiger!” Hizashi said as the blonde kitten climbed up the hill, hissing every few steps. “What a nice family,” Hizashi said to himself, “but I feel like I’m forgetting something.” The Siamese cat turned around and walked under the bridge. When he reached the other side, he unexpectedly stepped on a pile of strange soggy twigs. They were light in color, twisted, and had a strange smell. Puzzled, he sniffed the splinters and immediately shot up in horror. 

**_Oh shit!_ **

He sprinted up the grassy hill and frantically searched for the feline family. He spotted them on the road that leads up towards town. Hizashi grounded his paws and bellowed, “WAIT!” The sound shot through the air like a bullet and echoed off of the surrounding trees. Shouta and his kittens stopped and immediately turned around. 

Glad that he got their attention, Hizashi called out, “Hold on for a second!” He darted down the bank and got a mouthful of the strange pieces of wood. He rushed back up the hill and towards the cat family. 

“Did you have to scream so loud? You scared the hell out of us!” Shouta growled as the blonde approached. Hizashi stopped a few feet from the family, making sure there was a comfortable distance between himself and Shouta’s kittens.

He spat out the splinter pieces on the ground and said, “I’m sorry, but I had to get your attention. You guys can’t go that way.”

“Why not? Doesn't this road lead into town?”

“Yeah it does, but don’t go! I think something dangerous might be down there!”

“Dangerous?” Shouta narrowed his eyes, “Explain.”

“Last night, I heard dogs. A whole pack of them. It sounded like they were attacking something!”

“Dogs?!” Shouta exclaimed. “That is a pretty important detail to forget!” 

“I know, but I didn’t think that they came through this way! They were so loud, I thought that they were hunting in the woods or something. And then there’s this,” Hizashi said as he flicked the wooden pieces towards Shouta, “I found it under the bridge, just on the other side. It was probably washed down there by the rain.” 

Shouta tentatively sniffed the wooden pieces and wrinkled his nose. “He’s right, it smells like dog. It’s faint, but there’s no mistaking it"

Hitoshi and Katsuki each came forward to sniff the wood, only to retreat to their teacher with wrinkled noses. “Ugh, it reeks!” Katsuki groaned. 

“Yeah it does,” Shouta said, “and if the rain washed their scent down there, that means their territory could be up this street.”

“Man, lucky that those dogs didn’t find any of you. I don’t even think about what could’ve happened,” Hizashi said with relief. 

Shouta stared at the twisted twigs, “Yeah, lucky…” 

**_That looks like pieces of our basket. What in the hell happened last night?_ **

“Look,” Hizashi said, snapping Shouta out of his thoughts, “I know that you don’t trust me and you have every reason not to but I can’t stand the thought of you or your kittens getting hurt. So, can I offer a different arrangement?”

Shouta sighed. “Do you know another route that we could take?”

“Is it a magic carpet?” Eri piped from Shouta’s scarf. Shouta tried to silence her but she managed to wiggle her way out of the poach and onto the ground by her siblings. “Are we really going to ride on a magic carpet?!” 

“We’re not going on an actual magic carpet, Eri,” Katsuki grouched. 

“But I wouldn’t take up much room,” Eri answered. 

“Guys, hush,” Shouta ordered. 

“No, it’s ok Twilight,” Hizashi assured. He got down on the kitten’s level and said, “Look little listeners, If I said magic carpet, magic carpet it's gonna be. And it's gonna stop for passengers right over there!” Hizashi said pointing towards the road on the other side of the river.

“Another flight into the fantasy?” Shouta asked. 

“No, no, nothing like that. Follow me and you’ll see. I have a plan. Now we gotta hurry yo, or else we’ll miss it.” Hizashi turned and quickly walked across the stone bridge. 

Hitoshi looked up at his teacher and asked, “Should we trust him?”

Katsuki scowled, “Yeah, what if it’s a trap?!”

Shouta looked at the Siamese cat walking away and back at his anxious kittens. “He hasn’t given us any reason not to trust him. Let’s just see where this goes.”

“Come on listeners! The show is about to start!” Hizashi called from the other side of the bridge. 

“His voice sure does carry, doesn’t it?” Hitoshi said sarcastically.

Shouta picked his head up and took a big breath in, “Come on, let’s go see what this tom has in stored.”

Shouta led his kittens across the bridge and towards the waiting siamese. Hizashi sat patiently on the dirt road, underneath an old tree with branches that hung low overhead. When the family approached, he stood up proudly and said in a radio voice, “So glad you could join me this morning dear listeners! You guys are in for a fantastic show! Full of action, drama, and so much more!”

“Can we skip the theatrics?” Shouta said flatly. 

“Alright alright, this way,” Hizashi said, dropping the radio voice. He led the family into a patch of tall grass near the tree and said, “You guys just hide here and I’ll take care of the rest.” Shouta dropped down into the grass and the kittens huddled low and near their teacher. 

Hizashi smiled and quickly climbed up the tree and down one of the overhanging branches. He hung over the middle of the dirt road and waited. He looked over to the hidden family and said, “Won’t be long now!”

Further down the dirt road, Hizashi could spot an old truck rounding the corner. It sputtered black smoke into the air and the wheels bounced along the country road. The bed of the truck was opened and filled with strapped metal milk cans from Cow Lady farms. Hizashi smiled knowingly and said, “Just like clockwork, one magic carpet coming up.” 

“That's a magic carpet?” Hitoshi whispered.

“No it's a truck, but it’s a way home,” Shouta answered. 

The old truck slowly drove past the stone bridge and was approaching the low-hanging tree. Once the truck was in position, Hizashi jumped from his branch and onto the hood. He yowled a crazed, ear-splitting yowl that made the driver’s ears ring. 

“What the hell?!!!” screamed the driver. She slammed on the brakes and swerved off into the side of the road. Hizashi quickly jumped off of the hood and ran towards the back of the truck. “Stupid cat! Brainless lunatic!” the driver yelled as she jumped out of the truck. The woman went around the front of his truck and inspected it for any damages. With the driver distracted, Hizashi sat under the bed of the truck and waved at Shouta. Shouta and the kittens quickly came out of the grass and towards the old truck.

“All right, step lively! All aboard!” Hizashi announced. 

“You idiot, you could’ve lost your life!” Shouta scolded. 

“So I got a few to spare, nothin’,” Hizashi assured. 

Aizawa gathered all of his kittens into his scarf and jumped onto the truck’s tailgate. He bent down to let the kittens out and turned to talk to the blonde on the ground. “So this will take us to the vet?” 

“This truck makes deliveries into the artsy part of town. You know, the one with all the cafes. It’s not exactly the vet’s office, but it should be in the same neighborhood,” Hizashi answered. 

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Shouta said appreciatively. 

“My pleasure entirely,” Hizashi said with a smile. 

Satisfied that there were no damages to her truck, the grouchy driver climbed back into the front seat and slammed the door shut. She turned the key and her truck roared back to life. As the truck lurched forward and picked up speed, Hizashi gave his last goodbyes, “Aloha. Auf weidersehen. Bon soir. Saranora. And all those goodbye things, baby.”

Eri gleefully waved goodbye edge of the tailgate, “Sayonara, mister--” With a jump from the old truck, Eri was propelled off the tailgate and into the air. 

“Eri!!” Shouta screamed. Before he could do anything, Hizashi sprung out from where he was sitting and sprinted towards Eri at breakneck speed. He caught the white kitten in midair with his mouth, and gracefully leaped into the truck bed with his long legs. When they safely landed, he released Eri and she was immediately greeted by her two worried brothers. 

“Eri are you alright?!” Hitoshi asked

“Mm-hmm, I’m fine,” Eri answered. 

“Don’t stand on the edge of a moving truck, you runt!” Katsuki growled.

Eri stuck out her tongue at Katsuki, then she was pulled back by the crook of Aizawa’s paw. He pulled her close and affectionately rubbed his forehead against her. “Don’t scare me like that again,” he said wearily. 

“I’m sorry,” Eri said quietly.

“Haven't we met before?” Hizashi asked coyly. 

Aizawa looked up to the blonde tomcat and flattened his ears. He stood up tall and began stalking towards Hizashi. With every step, his voice rose in volume, “You are insane! You are crazy, impulsive, irrational, and…,” He stopped in front of Hizashi, who was flinching back. With a soft voice, Shouta said, “...I owe you my thanks.” 

Hiashi pried his eyes open and looked at Shouta in confusion, “Wait, really?”

Shouta smiled and nodded.“You saved my kitten,” he said, “you’ve earned my respect and gratitude.” 

Hizashi beamed at Shouta, and for once, he didn’t know what to say. 

Shouta looked back at his kittens and motioned for them to come near, “It’s ok guys, you can come closer." The kittens scampered over to their teacher’s side and looked up at Hizashi with curiosity. Eri stood in between Shouta’s front legs and nuzzled her face against one of them. “Eri, what do you say?” Shouta asked. 

Eri sat up straight and thanked the blonde tomcat, “Thank you mister for saving my life.”

“No trouble at all, little princess,” Hizashi said gratefully, “I’m gonna stick around and make sure you and your family get home safely.” Hizashi quickly looked up at Shouta and said, “If that’s alright with you of course.”

“Well…” Shouta said. 

“Please!!!” Pleaded Eri, “I promise not to stand on the edge again!”

“He does know the way,” said Hitoshi. 

“He could be useful if we run into trouble,” Katsuki added. 

Aizawa smiled and caved. “Alright, Alright,” Shouta sighed, “I guess he can come. But-” Shouta said as he looked up at Hizashi, “I’ll still be watching you”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Twilight,” Hizashi said with a cheeky grin. 

Aizawa smiled softly. “Twilight is not my name, it's Aizawa.” 

“Aizawa? Is that your real name or is that what the humans call you?”

“It’s my name, but my human calls me Shouta. I’ll answer to either.” 

Hizashi raised his eyebrows in surprise.“You have a human? You don’t seem like a housecat.”

“I can be flexible when I need to be.” Aizawa instantly regretted the comment as Hizashi tried his hardest to stifle a smirk. Katsuki and Hitoshi looked up at their teacher with single raised eyebrows and Eri just looked confused. Aizawa cleared his throat and quickly tried to change the subject. “And your name is, Yoshino Delacy...?

The blonde chuckled and nodded, “Hizashi is fine, it means sunshine.”

“It fits…” Shouta said quietly. Hizashi smiled warmly. 

“Anyway,” Shouta quickly said, “these are my kittens.” He looked down and nudged his students with his tail, “Go on, introduce yourselves.” 

“I’m Katsuki”

“Hitoshi”

“My name is Eri,” the white kitten cheerfully said. 

“Well it is very nice to meet you all, little listeners,” Hizashi said in his radio voice. “Thank you for letting me go with you on this journey.”

“Oi, so do you really know the way home?” Katsuki asked. 

“Of course,” Hizashi answered.”My place is not far from where you’re going. And when we get into town, I'll show you guys the time of your life.”

“Thank you, but we can’t,” Shouta said apologetically. “We really have to get back to our human.” 

“Right away?” Hizashi asked. “Humans don't really worry too much about their pets.”

“You don't understand,” Aizawa calmly explained, “We’re not just pets to him. Our human is really sick and he needs us to look after him.” Aizawa looked out at the passing countryside. “I just can’t imagine how he is right now, all alone. Probably worried sick.” Aizawa looked back at Hizashi, “So it's important that we get back to him as soon as possible.” 

Hizashi looked down in disappointment but quickly slapped on a determined smile. “Well then, I’ll make sure that you all get back to him safely.” He took a step back and bowed dramatically, “I promise.” 

Shouta was amused by the display. “Thank you,” Shouta said with a soft smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Tomcats will sometimes kill and eat kittens. They do this for a variety of reasons, such as to force the female into heat or to snuff out future competition. We see this behavior a lot in the wild, such as with lions. When a male lion takes over a pride, he immediately kills all of the previous male's cubs to force the lioness into heat. This behavior isn't seen as often in domesticated cats, but it still can happen. That's why Shouta was so worried, but he has nothing to fear from Hizashi 😉
> 
> I chose to depict Hizashi as a blonde Siamese cat (they actually exist). They are the loudest and most vocal of the cat breeds, which suits him nicely. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. For those of you going through midterms, I hope that this brightens your day❤️


	10. Just Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toshinori comes in for a warm drink after a long night of searching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out what my friend is making for me 👀 
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6dbZspMV9/ 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy 💖

“I want to go home,” the teen whined to himself. Tamaki’s morning was not starting off well. The sun was making his eyes sting, the morning chill nipped at his pointed ears, and his nose was starting to drip. He sniffed his nose and huffed warm air into his cupped hands. The teen listened to his footsteps echo through the empty streets. The morning sun cast long shadows as it peaked above the rows of cafes and shops. Mainstreet had not awakened yet, making Tamaki’s commute calm and quiet before the morning bustle. He was rubbing his hands together when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. With sleep still heavy in his voice, he answered, “Hello?”

“Tamaki! You’re alive!” a cheerful voice answered. 

“Good morning Mirio, what are you up to?”

“Not much, just wishing a good morning to my adoring. Good Morning!” He said loudly, making Tamaki flinch. “But seriously babe,” Mirio said with a softer tone, “Where are you? I didn’t see you on the way to school. You’re not playing hooky are you?”

“No, I'm just stopping by the coffee shop before school. I need to do a few things and then I’ll be on my way.”

“You do know the point of an after-school job is, right babe? You’re not supposed to work until after school.”

“I know, but if I don’t set everything up and stock, it’ll be a nightmare for Nejire and me to work the afternoon shift.”

“Are the three stooges still useless?” Mirio asked. 

“Yes,” Tamaki said with annoyance, “The bald thug is still too obsessed with his crystal jewelry to tend to the customers. The blonde kleptomaniac stole from the tip jar, again! And worst of all is that weird guy that wears the white ski mask. He never takes it off and he keeps eating the snacks that we are supposed to sell. He does this every chance that he gets and he even eats the wrappers! I’ve seen him do it too, it’s like his jaw unhinges like a snake! He freaks me out! He is going to eat all of the food product and Mr. Giren will get mad and increase our hours to make up for lost profits and-”

“Honey,” Mirio interrupted, “I love you, but it is too early in the morning for this. Remember what we say when we get anxiety?”

Tamaki took in a deep breath and sheepishly replied, “My anxiety is chronic but this ass is iconic.”

“Noo no,” Mirio quickly said, “that’s not it. How about we try those breathing exercises that we learned, ok? Remember, in through your nose and out through your mouth.” Tamaki could hear Mirio slowly inhale. He mimicked his boyfriend and started taking slow, steady breaths. As he breathed, the cold air filled his lungs and billowed out in a warm fog. He did this until his nerves were steady and his mind was calm. “Ok,” Tamaki said, “Better now.” 

“Good job!” Mirio praised. “So Tamaki, if this job is upsetting you so much, why don’t you quit? You can always go back to Fat Gum’s shop.”

“No, I can’t,” Tamaki answered, “His expectations only dragged me deeper into despair. I swear he only hired me just so he had someone to torment.”

“I think that he was just encouraging you, babe. Mentors are like that” 

“I don’t do positivity well, it makes me nervous. I’m not like you Mirio, you’re so optimistic you shine brighter than the sun.”

“Well if I’m the sun, then that makes you one hell of a sun eater!” he said coyly.  


Tamaki’s face suddenly went hot as he pulled his hood over his face.“Miri…” he whined.

The blonde chuckled “You’re so cute when you’re all flustered! It’s going to be ok babe. Just remember to take those deep breaths. ok?”

“Ok, I will. Do you want to hang out after work? We can go to my place and do some homework.” 

“That sounds great, but I’m meeting with the Olympic trainer after school and I’m going to be pretty wiped out afterward.” 

“Oh yeah, how are you feeling about it?”

“To be honest, I’m pretty nervous about it,” Mirio said sheepishly, “This could lead to big things, you know?”

“Mirio, You’re going to do great,” Tamaki assured, “you’ve worked hard for this. You have more ambition and dedication than anyone I know. If the trainer doesn’t see that, then they’re an idiot.”

“Aw thanks, that means a lot,“ Mirio cheerfully. “Now hurry up and get here before class starts! Oh, I’m picking up little Izuku after school, so we all can walk together to the shelter before your shift. Love you, don’t work too hard!”

“I won’t. Love you too, bye.” Tamaki hung up the phone and stuffed it back in his back pocket. He stuffed his hands in his sweatshirt and continued his commute to the coffee shop. He looked up to the old industrial building that stretched along Mainstreet. It stood tall with weathered bricks, chipped paint, and industrial windows. The faded sign on the billboard served as a reminder of what the building once was. Now that it had been repurposed, the old factory now serves as a campus for businesses to rent out. Tamaki passed by the various artisan shops and boutiques that were carved into the old building until he found the coffee shop. He looked up and read the sign that hung over the door.   


**_Something Borrowed Something Brewed, here it is. If I’m quick enough, I can meet up with Mirio before the first bell rings._ **

Tamaki flipped on a switch and smiled as the shop filled with light. The dining room was packed with mismatched but comfortable furniture. The hardwood floors were covered with various oriental rugs, the industrial vents overhead were loosely wrapped in stringed lights, and the brick walls were lined with artwork. Tamaki crossed the dining room floor and got behind the counter. He tucked his backpack under the register and tied on his work apron. 

**_Alright, time to get to work._ **

He walked straight to the radiator and switched on the valve. As it banged to life and filled with steam, the teen began unstacking the chairs from their tables. He shifted and moved the oriental rugs so that they would cover the exposed rivets in the floors. As the room filled with heat, Tamaki grabbed a stack of blankets and set them near the ancient pipes. 

**_After coming in from this cold, the customers will appreciate a warm blanket on their lap._ **

He scanned the artwork that lined the brick walls. There was a theme if you paid attention. Every picture was etched in crayon, had something to do with All Might, and were all messily signed by Izuku Midoriya. Tamaki looked at one section and noticed an empty spot. 

**_I’m sure Izuku wouldn’t mind making me another drawing, the customers seem to like them. When Nejire tells them the artist is a five-year-old boy, they never believe her._ **

Tamaki walked behind the counter and began setting up the barista station. He stocked, wiped, and set up everything for the morning shift. With everything in place, it’ll be very hard for the three stooges to mess things up too badly. 

**_Those thugs have no business working at this place, just like how Mr. Giren has no business owning it. In my entire time here, I’ve only seen him once and that was to collect a check. With all of the businesses that he owns, he probably forgets this place exists. Who gives a high schooler the keys to a business anyway?  
_ **

Tamaki turned from the barista station and looked out at his little sanctuary. Everything was set up and ready for the day. 

**_The customers can be nerve-wracking and my coworkers are useless, but I like working here. Making the coffee, coming up with new combinations, it's tedious but rewarding. I may not be good at talking to people, but making something that makes others happy makes me feel pretty good._ **

The teen was untying his apron when he heard the shop door opening.“It’s freezing out there sir, let's warm-up for a bit,” he heard a man’s voice say. Tamaki suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and he ducked down behind the counter.

**_The shop is closed! It says so on the door! Even if the door is open, why would people just walk in?! Why don’t people read the signs?!_ **

“Hello?” the man’s voice called out. 

“Mirai, I don’t think this place is open yet,” an older, more tired voice said. 

“Surely somebody works here, the door is open,” the younger man replied. 

**_If I stand up, then I’ll have to talk to them. But If I stay down, maybe they’ll leave. But if they leave, they might never come back or they'll leave a bad review and other people will never come back and Mr. Giren will find out and close the shop and I’ll have to find another job where I’ll have to talk to people and Nejire isn't here to talk to them. I don’t know what to say, they’re going to think I’m weird and never come back and-_ **

“Hello?” the younger man called out again, this time sounding closer to the counter.

Tamaki put his hand on his stomach and slowed down his breathing.

**_Ok, slow breaths, just like what Mirio said. In, out, in, out, in-_ **

Tamaki slowly stood up. With his best customer service voice, he said, “He-hello, how ca-can I help you?” Tamaki looked up and recognized the two men that were standing at the counter. 

**_That’s Mr. Yagi and his assistant. Why are they here so early? And in wet clothes?_ **

The assistant looked at Tamaki and said, “Finally, a service worker. What were you doing down there? I’ve been calling for two minutes?” 

**_I want to go home._ **

“Uh,” Tamaki said.  ****

He averted his gaze to the floor and said, “S-sorry, I was cleaning. Is there something I can get for you?” 

“Yes, we’ll take two medium lattes with extra shots of espresso.”

**_Nejire is the one that takes orders, not me! Even when I try to imagine the customers as potatoes, I still get all tongue-tied and sweaty._ **

Tamaki’s head was feeling light and his heart was beating fast. He quickly turned around and faced the barista station. “Yes sir, coming right up,” he mumbled. 

“Excuse me, aren't you going to put my order in the register? And run my credit card?” Mirai sternly asked.

**_I really want to go home._ **

Tamaki’s heart beat faster. His breath became shallow. “Uh, I...I’m,” he stammered.

“Oh Mirai, let him work,” Yagi coughed out, “He’s the only one here. He can charge us after the coffee is done.” 

“Very well. Move quickly,” he said to Tamaki, “we’ve waited long enough.”

As the assistant walked away, Tamaki turned around and got back to work on the drinks. As he steamed the milk, he could just barely hear the two men talking in the dining room. It wasn’t until after the milk was done that Tamaki could hear their conversation. 

“I can’t believe we didn't find them! We searched everywhere!” Mr.Yagi woefully said.

“I know sir, it's been a long night”

“I just don’t understand,” Mr. Yagi said while on the verge of tears. 

“Sir, maybe we should consider the possibility that they may not come back-”

“No,” Mr. Yagi choked out, “we can’t give up! We just can’t!”

“Yes, yes of course,” the assistant assured, “I’ll tell you what, you sit here and wait for our drinks. I’ll go across the street to the print shop and print out some flyers.” 

“Ok, that sounds good.” 

Tamaki heard the front door chime and the shop was quiet again. Tamaki timidly looked behind him and saw Mr. Yagi seated at one of the tables near the front door. The older man was staring outside the shop window, lost in his thoughts. Even from across the room, Tamaki could tell that Mr. Yagi was exhausted. The teen looked at the finished drinks in his station and looked back at Mr. Yagi. Assured that the older man wasn’t looking, he poured one of the drinks into the sink and quickly poured more milk into the steamer cup. As the new batch of milk steamed, he grabbed a container of matcha powder and sifted a spoonful into a new cup. He poured hot water into the cup and carefully whisked the powder into a green paste. When the milk finished steaming, he squirted a bit of honey into the matcha paste and stirred in the steamed milk until it reached the rim of the cup. 

**_Ok, breathe. You can do this._ **

Tamaki took both cups and walked towards Mr. Yagi. As he got closer, the teen could tell that the older man had a rough night. His clothes were soaked and disheveled, his hair was tangled, and his eyes were sunken in from exhaustion. Tamaki stopped and awkwardly stood at Mr. Yagi’s table, but the man didn’t notice. The teen timidly cleared his throat and said, “Mr. Yagi? Your order?”

Startled, the older man looked up but relaxed when he saw the teen. “Oh, I’m so sorry young man. Thank you,” he said as he took the drinks. 

Tamaki turned to walk away but stopped. He turned around and carefully walked back towards the older man and said, “Is there... anything else I can help you with?”

Mr. Yagi looked up. With a forced smile, he said, “No, no thank you. I’ll be just f-,” he paused and looked down. Mr.Yagi looked back up with a more honest expression and said, “Do I really look that bad?”

Tamaki sheepishly shrugged and said, “You look like you’ve seen better days.”

“Yeah, you can say that,” Yagi said as he wiped his eyes with his hand. He took a sip of his drink and his eyes widened in surprise. 

“Is something wrong sir?” Tamaki asked with concern. 

“Yes, my drink. I think that you’ve made a mistake. It’s good but this isn’t what Mirai ordered.”

“No,” Tamaki shakily answered, “but it's your order. A matcha latte with a little honey. You order it every time you come in. You’re the only person that orders matcha and it’s a shame because matcha is full of antioxidants and it's versatile and it won’t make you crash like a coffee will and-” Tamaki stopped when he noticed Yagi was staring at him. 

**_Shut up Shut up Shut up!! No one cares about what you know about matcha tea! He just wants to drink his coffee and not be bothered! Just shut up!!_ **

Tamaki’s face turned beet red and he blurted out “I’m sorry! I’ll go make your latte right away!” Tamaki quickly spun around towards the counter and tried to scurry away.

“Young man wait!” Yagi called out. 

Tamaki paused and slowly turned towards the older man, but he kept his eyes down. 

“Coffee makes me sick and this is the only place that sells matcha, that’s why I come here. How do you know so much about it?”

Tamaki shifted his weight on his feet. “I-I…” he started to say, “I pr-prefer matcha t-too, over coffee. Makes me jittery. Plus...I like making it. It calms me. Actually,” Tamaki said as he started to smile, “I hope to own a matcha shop one day. Maybe even a company. I-,” the teen looked up to the older man looking back and he immediately looked back down. “Sorry, I-”

“No it’s ok,” Yagi reassuringly said, “You sound really passionate about this. I think it’s a wonderful goal to pursue.”

Tamaki smiled and rubbed his elbow. “Thanks,” he meekly said. 

“I’m so sorry,” Yagi started to say, “you know my drink order by heart but I don’t know your name.”

“Tamaki. Tamaki Amajiki.” the teen said as he fiddled with his apron strings. 

“Forgive me, but I’ve seen your face before.” Yagi squinted his eyes as he looked at Tamaki.

The teen wrapped his arms around himself. “Yeah,” He said, “I’ve worked here for a while and you come in pretty often-”

“No, I remember you from somewhere else too.” Yagi thought for a moment and warmly smiled, “You’re Mirio’s boyfriend aren’t you?”

Tamaki smiled, “Yes. Yes, that’s me.”

“Yeah, I remember. I’ve seen you at the shelter a few times. He always has the brightest smile when you visit him.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” Tamaki said as his smile grew.

“I’m so sorry,” Yagi said as he buried his face in his hands, “it’s been a long night for me.”

Tamaki walked over and sat in the chair across from the distressed man. “Is there...anything that I can help with?”

Yagi looked up at the teen and said, “Shouta, my cat, and my foster kittens went missing last night.”

“That’s terrible, I’m so sorry,” Tamaki tenderly said. 

“Yeah, Mirai and I were out all night looking for them but we didn’t have any luck.” 

“You two were out in that awful storm? No wonder your clothes are all soaked! Here,” Tamaki said as he took the two drinks from the table and stood up from his chair, “come sit over here and warm up.” Tamaki walked over towards the couch that sat next to the radiator. He placed the drinks on the coffee table and beckoned the older man to sit. Yagi didn’t argue and did as the teen said. As soon as he sat down and felt the heat, Yagi closed his eyes and melted into the couch. “Thank you,” Yagi sighed. 

Tamaki grabbed one of the heated blankets and draped it over Toshinori. “Oh no no, you don’t have to give me this,” he said, “I don’t want your blankets to get wet and sour.”

“Sir please,” the teen insisted, “your clothes are all soaked. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Thank you, you are too kind.” 

The teen sat down next to the older man and gave him his drink. Yagi accepted it and took a few sips as the two sat in silence. 

“I’m sorry to hear about your cats,” Tamaki tenderly said, “You must really care about them to look for them in the rain like that.”

“I do. That’s why I don’t understand why they left.”

As Yagi took another sip, the teen noticed something on the older man’s hand. “Whatever happened, they sure must have been angry.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Your hand, it looks like one of your cats bit you pretty hard. See,” Tamaki reached over and gently lifted Yagi’s hand to show him, “it’s still bleeding a little.” 

Toshinori stared at the mark with disbelief, “I...didn’t even know I was bitten…”

“I’ll get some disinfectant.” Tamaki got up from the couch and briskly walked behind the counter to retrieve the first aid kit. As he walked back to the couch, he said, “You probably didn’t notice it from being out in the cold and rain.” He sat back down next to Toshinori and dug antiseptic wipes and bandages out of the kit. The older man reached for the items, but Tamaki pulled them back and said, “Please sir, let me.” He gingerly took Yagi’s hand and began treating the wound. 

“This doesn't make any sense,” Yagi said as Tamaki dabbed the wound with an antiseptic wipe, “Shouta has never bitten me before.”

“You mean your cat? Cats can be temperamental sometimes.” Tamaki took one of the larger bandaids in the kit and gently applied it to Toshinori’s wound. “Do you really not remember getting bitten? This is pretty deep.”

“No, not at all,” Toshinori answered, “I don't remember much of what happened last night actually. I fell asleep in my office chair and when I woke up, Shouta and the kittens were gone.”

“Do you remember what happened before you fell asleep? Maybe something happened that scared your cats away?”

“Everything was fine before I fell asleep. The kittens were playing, we were having tea, I gave them their medicine, it was a nice and quiet evening.”

Tamaki thought for a moment. “So you fell asleep, Shouta bit you, he took the kittens and ran away? During a thunderstorm? I’m sorry but that doesn’t make sense to me. Can you remember anything else?”

“Well...the kittens accidentally knocked over my assistant’s lamp and he yelled at them. He meant them no harm, Mirai was just upset. Though, Shouta was a bit standoffish afterward…” He turned to Tamaki and asked, “Do you think that could be it?”

“Well, uh… if someone yelled at me, I’d run and hide too, I guess,” Tamaki said as he fiddled with his apron strings. “But I don’t know much about cats. Maybe you should ask Dr. Midoria?”

“No I can’t, she’ll be so disappointed with me. She trusted me to take care of Shouta and those kittens and now they’re gone.” Toshinori buried his face in his hands again, “I can’t even think of facing her.” 

Tamaki hesitated, but he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder, “I’m...sorry. I wish there was more that I could do to help.” He thought for a moment and said, “Maybe, maybe Mirio could help. He volunteers at Dr. Midoria’s rescue all the time. I’m sure he would know what to do.”

Yagi lifted his head and asked, “You think so?” 

“Yeah, he wouldn't hesitate to help. He talks about you all the time.” Tamaki thought for a moment and meekly smiled, “Last night, he kept going on and on about your sports car and how cool it would be to drive James Bond’s car.”

“He should visit sometime, I’ll let him see it for himself.”

“He actully went by your office when he was out jogging last night.” 

“Oh, why didn’t he come in and say hello?” Yagi asked. 

“He tried to but your assistant said you were really sick and Mirio didn’t want to disturb you.”

Yagi’s face dropped, “But I wasn’t...what else did Mirai say?”

Tamaki’s face suddenly flushed and he looked down, “Well…I wasn't there myself, but I can ask Mirio if he remembers something. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, just-“ Toshinori was interrupted by the front door chime. The two looked towards the door and saw Mirai walking in with an armful of flyers. 

“Mr. Yagi,” the assistant said, “I have the flyers.” He walked over and set the stack of papers down on the coffee table. Without acknowledging the teen, he walked around and handed a flyer to Yagi. “I hope you don’t mind,” Mirai said, “but I chose the picture. Is this ok?” 

Toshinori took a flyer and gave a weak smile, “Oh, this is one of my favorite photos.” He flipped the paper over to show Tamaki. “See?” Yagi said as he pointed to the photo, “Shouta’s the black cat with the scarf. This is Hitoshi, he looks just like Shouta. And that’s Katsuki, he looks grouchy but he’s actually sweet. And right there is little Eri, this was when we first got her and her wounds were still healing but she looks great now.” 

Tamaki smiled and said, “They look like great cats.”

Mirai cleared his throat and said “Mr. Yagi, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, thank you Mirai,” Yagi said. He turned to Tamaki and politely said, “Thank you Amajiki for the drinks and for listening. Here,” the older man gave the teen a handful of bills, “keep the change.”

Tamaki stared in awe at the money in his hands. “Mr. Yagi,” he said, “this is too much, I can’t accept this!” The teen shoved the money towards the older man in protest, but Yagi wouldn’t hear it. He gently placed his hands around Tamaki’s and squeezed them around over the bills.

“Please keep it, I insist. You’ve helped me so much today. Consider this a small investment towards your matcha shop,” Yagi said genuinely.

“I-I don’t know what else to say. Th-Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Yagi said.  


“Mr. Yagi?” Mirai said with more urgency. 

“Yes Mirai,” he said to his assistant. He stood up and folded the blanket and placed it on the couch as Mirai gathered the flyers and the drinks. As the men exited the coffee shop, Yagi looked over his shoulder and said, “Have a good day Amajiki.”

“You too Mr. Yagi!” the teen called back. 

**_He’s so cool! He gave me over fifty dollars! I can treat Mirio to a decent lunch with this!_ **

Tamaki checked his phone and flinched at the time.

**_I’m going to be late for the first bell! I better get going._ **

Temaki stuffed the money in his pocket, took off his apron, grabbed his backpack from under the counter. He hurried across the dining room and switched off the lights before locking the door behind him. He looked up the sidewalk and saw Yagi and his assistant hanging flyers on the storefronts. Tamaki waved as he began walking in the opposite direction. Yagi waved back but Mirai didn’t even look his way. 

**_That assistant, I don’t know. Somethings off about him. I can’t put my finger on it._ **

Tamaki turned around and quickly walked towards the high school.

**_I really hope Mr. Yagi finds his cats soon._ **

Tamaki huffed his warm breath into his hands and watched it fog around his face as he hurried along the sidewalk. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends. I really wish that I had more to share. But with the holidays, finals, my new job, and preparation for an internship, this is all that I have to give. Amajiki was originally only going to be mentioned twice. However, when I started writing this chapter, he gave me so much serotonin that I wrote the whole thing from his perspective. I consulted a friend who has chronic anxiety in order to get Amajiki's inner dialogue and mannerisms just right. I hope that I did him some justice. 
> 
> I'm sure many of you have experienced anxiety during this time, I assure you that you are not alone. Here are some techniques that have helped me cope with my own anxiety this year:
> 
> Dragon Breath - Slowly breathe through your nose and out through your mouth. I learned this in a yoga class of all places and it is especially helpful during a panic attack.
> 
> Muscle Relaxation - Sit or lay in a comfortable position. Tighten and relax each of your muscles individually, starting with your toes and work your way up your body.
> 
> 5-4-3-2-1 Method- Name 5 things that you hear, 4 things that you see, 3 things that you can smell, 2 things that you can feel/touch, and 1 thing that you can taste. This is a grounding technique that gets you in touch with your surroundings. 
> 
> Gratitude- Name three things that you are grateful for (and yes, I did get this from Big Mouth 😅)
> 
> Stay safe out there and thank you for reading 💖


	11. Stay Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone learns something new.
> 
> Hizashi gets to learn more about Shouta, Eri learns how to drink milk without a bottle, Katsuki learns a new move, and Hitoshi learns how to swim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EraserMic simps, come and get y'all juice!
> 
> Terms:
> 
> Queen = a female cat.

The peaceful countryside leisurely passed by as the dairy truck drove along its roaming hills. The truck slightly swayed back and forth as it drove over bumps and crevices along the winding dirt road. Its motor hummed through the air like a song, making it that much harder for Aizawa to stay awake. The black cat yawned, putting his sharp teeth on display. 

“My, what big teeth you have,” Hizashi said jokingly. “The last time I saw those, they were near my throat...not that I minded,” he added quietly. 

“Sorry,” Shouta raspily said, “Just a bit tired. And the truck’s rocking isn’t helping.”

“Well, it won’t be long now. Do you see those train tracks?” Hizashi said as he pointed towards the approaching railroad bridge, “Those actually lead into town, right through-”

“Mainstreet,” Shouta said before another yawn, “I recall.”

“Do you want to rest Twilight?” the blonde tom asked. “I can watch the kids while you sleep.”

“Name’s Shouta and no, it’s fine,” he said as he laid himself down and closed his eyes, “I can be attentive while I rest my eyes.” 

Hizashi looked over to where the kittens were playing. They leaped and pounced on each other, playfully swatting and chasing each other around the tarp-covered milk cans. Eri giggled as she scurried towards Shouta with the older kittens in tow. She leaped onto her teacher’s back and playfully swatted at Hitoshi. The lavender kitten reached up to swat back but was pounced on by Katsuki. The two raced around Shouta as Eri climbed on top of the tired cat’s head.

“Are you sure you don't want a break?” Hizashi questioned.

Shouta stared blankly with tired eyes. “This is fine,” he flatly said. He dipped his head forward and flipped Eri onto his front paws. She giggled and attempted to climb up his neck again but was kept still by Shouta’s paw on her back. “Hey you two,” he called out to the older kittens, “Turn it down a few notches.” 

“But we need to practice,” Katsuki griped while pinning Hitoshi down. 

“We need to conserve our energy,” Shouta answered back, “Without food in our stomachs, we’ll need to save what strength we have.” 

“No food?!” Hizashi thought. 

“Sensei, when are we going to eat?” Hitoshi asked as he shoved the blonde kitten off of him. 

“We’ll be home soon, Yagi will give us plenty of food then,” the black cat assured. 

“Wait, you guys haven’t had breakfast yet?!” Hizashi asked, “Well, why didn’t you say so? I know where we can get some breakfast!”

“What breakfast?” Katsuki asked.

“Where is it?!” Eri added. 

“You’re not going to pull something out from behind our ears, are you?” Shouta asked with amusement. 

“Well, this is a magic carpet after all Twi-, I mean Shouta,” Hizashi corrected. He cleared his throat and lowered himself to talk to the kittens that gathered around him. “Now kids, to make our breakfast appear, we have to cook up a little spell,” the blonde cat said, then he winked at Aizawa. 

“A spell-” Katsuki started to grip until Hitoshi nudged him. 

“Just go with it,” the lavender cat hissed. He motioned toward little Eri, who was looking up at Hizashi with wide wonder-filled eyes. 

“A real magic spell?” she gasped. 

“That’s right little Princess,” the blonde cat cooed. “Alright first,” he said in his radio voice,”to make the magic begin, we wiggle our nose.” Eri wiggled her little pink nose with enthusiasm. Hitoshi did the same and Katsuki begrudgingly wiggled his nose too. With a glimmer in his eye, Hizashi continued in explaining the magic spell. 

“Next, we tickle our chin, and you close your eyes, cross your heart…” 

With the kittens’ eyes closed, Hizashi swiftly tugged at a tarp to reveal one of the milk cans. “Then presto, breakfast! Au la carte!” he announced. 

“Hurray! Look Shouta look!” Eri shouted. Shouta smirked and arched his back in a stretch and padded towards the kittens. 

The kittens excitedly scurried towards the bucket, but froze when Hizashi said, “Ahh yeah, there’s nothing like fresh cream in the morning.” Katsuki blocked Eri from getting any closer and Hitoshi looked back at Shouta with hesitation. 

“What’s the matter?” Hizashi asked. “You guys aren’t lactose intolerant, are you?”

Shouta stood over the kittens and explained, “We haven’t had the best experience with cream.”

Hizashi thought for a moment and announced in his radio voice, “Well you’re in luck dear listeners because this is no ordinary cream! It’s what humans call organic! That means that nothing was put in it. So it's safe! Look I’ll show you.” He stood up on the side of the milk can and tasted the cream. “Ahh, see? Nothing to fea-” the blonde’s eyes suddenly flew open and he made choking noises as he threw himself behind the milk can. 

“Mr. Yamada!” Eri shouted. The kittens wanted to rush to Hizashi’s aid, but they were stopped by Aizawa’s tail. 

He mouthed out, “Stay here,” and cautiously padded around the milk can. “Hizashi?” the black cat asked, “Are you ok-” Shouta was suddenly cut off by dramatic moaning and flailing blonde limbs.

“Ohhh, the pain! Oooohh ahhhh!” the blonde tom moaned. The kittens snickered and giggled at the display, even Katsuki couldn’t help but cackle.

“Are you done?” Shouta flatly asks. 

The blonde paused for a moment to say, “Almost,” and he resumed the theatrics. Hizashi crawled out from behind the milk can and moaned, “Tell my mom I love her!!!” Then he dramatically stuck out his tongue and played dead. 

Unamused, Shouta nudged the motionless Hizashi and asked, “So the cream is ok?”

Hizashi popped his head up and said, “A little sweet for me, but yeah it’ll do. Go and try for yourself!” 

The black cat went over and stood up on his hind legs to have a taste of the cream. Satisfied that it wasn’t poisoned, he nodded at the kittens and said, “It’s good, come on and eat.”

The older kittens hopped up the milk can and held onto the rim while Shouta went over to retrieve Eri. Hitoshi managed to hoist himself over, but Katsuki struggled to find his footing. Hizashi hurried over and helped the struggling kitten. “Easy there tiger! I got you,” Hizashi said.

“I had it!” the blonde kitten grouched.

“Of course you did,” Hizashi said as he hopped up to drink, “But there’s nothing wrong with a boost.” 

“Tch,” Katsuki scoffed before leaning down to drink his breakfast. With Eri in his pouch, Shouta circled around to the other side and hopped up the rim of the can next to Hizashi. He stretched up far enough so that Eri could reach the cream for herself. She looked up at her caregiver hesitantly. 

“It’s ok,” Shouta assured, “Go on and try it,”

Eri inched out of the pouch and dropped her face into the cream, thoroughly covering her face in the thick liquid. “Almost,” Shouta amusingly said as cream dribbled down the white kitten’s face. 

“She’s got the spirit of it,” Hizashi chuckled.

“We’re still new to solid food,” Shouta said. “She’s still getting the hang of liquids from a bowl.” 

“Aw, you’re still a bottle baby!” Hizashi cooed to the little kitten, “Well look at your brothers, see how they’re doing it? It’s all in the tongue.”

Eri tried to copy her brothers and dipped her tongue into the cream. “Like this?” she asked.

“Close, more like this,” Shouta said. He craned his neck over her to reach the cream but ended up flicking several drops into Eri’s face.

She scrunched up her tiny face and exclaimed, “Hey! Shouta!” 

“Sorry,” Shouta amusingly said as he bent down to lick her clean. 

“I have a question,” Hizashi asked as the tiny white kitten bent down to the cream again. 

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Why do you let her call you Shouta?” 

“Watch. Eri,” he said to the white kitten, “what’s my name?” 

With cream dribbling down her chin, she looked up and said, “Shouta.”

“No, my other name.”

“Awshawa,” she said in her little voice. 

Shouta looked up at Hizashi and said, “See? Shouta is just easier.”

Hizashi just couldn’t take it. “So cute!!!!” he exclaimed. “But wait,” the tom said questioningly, “then why do the others call you-”

“CATS!!!!!” The driver screamed as she glared at the cats from her rear-view mirror. She suddenly slammed on the brakes and the truck came to a screeching halt. The cats were thrown into the front of the bed and cream was spilled everywhere. Shouta and Hizashi immediately got up and herded the kittens in between them. 

“Is everyone good? Anyone hurt?!” Hizashi hurriedly said.

“No, we’re fine. We have to move,” Shouta urged. They heard the driver open her truck door and climb out. They were running out of time. 

“I’ll distract her, you grab them and run Sho,” Hizashi said as he climbed over the milk cans. 

“Zashi!” Shouta pleaded, but Hizashi had already jumped through the rear window. He landed on the passenger seat and yowled his blood-curdling yowl as loud as he could.

“Fucking thieves!” the driver cursed. She turned around and stomped back towards the front of the truck. With no time to waste, Shouta quickly stuffed Hitoshi and Eri into his scarf and grabbed Katsuki by the scruff. He quickly darted out of the truck and onto the dirt road. As he ran further away from the truck, he heard the driver cursing and the sound of clanking metal. Shouta kept running until he heard the sound of Hizashi yelping. He paused and looked back to see the driver swinging a large pipe wrench into the truck and Hizashi pressed up against the passenger side window. 

“Mr. Yamada?!” Hitoshi gasped. 

“No-” Shouta thought. 

Shouta turned and ran further away and into a small railway building by the train tracks. He put Katsuki down and carefully dumped Hitoshi and Eri out of his scarf. “Stay here,” he instructed before turning to run.

“But-” Katsuki tried to protest.

“STAY!” Shouta yelled over his shoulder as he ran back towards the truck.

***************************************************

This is bad!!! Hizashi frantically thought. The driver menacingly stood in the truck doorway. She swung her pipe wrench left to right, up and down, crashing it against the dashboard and into her water bottles in the cupholders. The agile tom dodged her attacks easily, but he was running out of options for an escape. Each time he got near the rear window, she slammed her pipe wrench against the seat. He tried to find an opening for him to slip past her, but her hulking body took up most of the doorway. He was trapped.

“I need to think fast!” Hizashi thought, “I need to get back to Sho and the kids! But how?”

“YOU DIRTY STREET RAT!” the driver screamed. She slammed her wrench against the center console and caused Hizashi to corner himself against the passenger-side window. She crawled closer into the truck and reared her weapon menacingly above her head, “This is the last time you steal from me!!” the driver growled. Hizashi squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself. Instead, he heard the driver curse and the sound of familiar feral growling. Hizashi opened his eyes and saw Shouta’s scarf wrapped around the diver’s hand that held the pipe wrench. 

“Hizashi! Move!” Shouta yelled from outside.

Hizashi immediately hopped onto the dashboard and darted past the driver. She tried to reach behind her and grab him with her free hand but the sly Tom jumped out of the truck and onto the dirt road. 

“Good work Sho! Let's blow this joint!” Hizashi said.

“Oh no you don’t!” the driver shouted. With her free hand, she grabbed ahold of the scarf and yanked it back. Shouta grimaced as he was yanked forward and fell at the driver’s feet. 

“SHOUTA!!” Hizashi screamed. 

Shouta scrambled to his feet and tried to wiggle free out of his scarf but the driver kept jerking him around. “Stay still ya tramp!” the driver shouted. She lifted her pipe wrench and attempted to club Aizawa, but not before Hizashi launched himself onto her leg and bit into her calf. The driver dropped her wrench as she yelped in pain and tried to shake Hizashi off of her leg. He dug his claws into her leg with a death grip and hung on as she shook. With the driver distracted, Shouta yanked his scarf free and yelled, “Zashi! Let’s go!” 

Hizashi sank his teeth into the driver’s Achilles heel and let go. She crumpled to the ground in pain and cursed at the cats as they made their escape. She tried to scramble back onto her feet, but her injured leg cramped up and was too stiff to move. She watched the cats run off towards the railroad tracks and screamed, “You better run you dirty tramps!! I better not see any of you back around these parts! Crazy lunatics!”

Hizashi followed Shouta towards the small railroad building by the train tracks. The kittens that were waiting by the doorway ran out to greet the approaching cats. “Mr. Yamada!” Eri cheered. 

“Sensei!” Katsuki and Hitoshi shouted.

“Inside all of you!” Shouta barked.

“Come on kids,” Hizashi said as he helped Shouta herd the kittens back inside the building. They nudged the kittens in between them and shielded the kittens from view. Shouta peeked his head out from the doorway and watched the driver climb back into her truck. He waited until the driver started the truck before saying, “Alright, we can get up now.”

Hizashi and Shouta eased off of the kittens and allowed them to venture outside. As the truck eased forward, Katsuki pounced forward and hissed, “I’ll show her! MRAIR! FR FR FR!”

“Hey cool it you little Tiger,” Hizashi said, “That one’s dynamite.”

“But she called us tramps!”

“Leave her be,” Shouta said, “No one got hurt and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“What a horrible human,” Hitoshi remarked. 

Shouta looked down and said to the lavender kitten, “Some humans are like that Hitoshi.

Remember,” he said to the other kittens, “never engage in a fight with a human if you can help it.” 

“And if you can’t help it?” Hitoshi asked. 

“Well, then you bite them where it hurts!” Hizashi blurted out. “Ankles, calves, anywhere that’s tender really. And there’s this tendon in their heels that-”

“Isn’t necessary for them to know, Hizashi,” Shouta said with a pointed look, making Hizashi shrink back a little. Shouta turned to address the kittens, “We are safe and that is all that matters. Now that the truck is gone, we need to find a different way home.”

“Well then look no further listeners!” Hizashi said in his radio voice. He stood up on his hind legs, twirled, and lifted his paws towards the railroad bridge. “Feast your eyes on that beauty!” he said. Shouta and the kittens stepped closer and saw the formidable railroad bridge that stretched across the rocky canyon. The structure endured against the river’s powerful current as it rushed through the wooden columns below. 

“Gee wiz, look at that bridge!” Eri said. 

Shouta craned his neck to try and see where the tracks led to on the other side but they were hidden by towering pine trees.“You said that these tracks run through Mainstreet right?” Shouta asked. 

“That’s right! We can just follow these tracks and we’ll be back in town in no time,” Hizashi answered cheerfully. 

“Then we have no time to waste,” Shouta said as he climbed up the ballast gravel that rose high above the cats. Hitoshi and Eri followed behind, but Eri struggled to find her footing.

“Are we really going to walk on the bridge?” Eri said as she stumbled a bit. 

“Yes, we are,” Shouta answered. “Hitoshi, help Eri climb up the gravel.”

Hitoshi came up behind the white kitten and helped nudge her up the gravel hill. “Come on, I got you,” he said, “We can play train when we get to the top.”

“Really?! I call the leader!” She cheered as she climbed up the gravel hill.

Hizashi watched in amusement before getting up to walk up to the tracks himself. However, a feisty blonde kitten rushed in front of him and blocked his path. “Oi,” Katsuki spat out, “tell me where to bite to take down a human!” 

“Oh hey tiger, I’m sorry but really shouldn’t say-”

“Come on! Sensei won’t tell us and I need to know so I can help fight against a human!”

“Well, there are a lot worse things out here than humans-”

“Either you tell me or I won’t move,” Katsuki threatened. 

“What?! Are you crazy? We have to go!” Hizashi hissed.

“Nope,” the kitten said as he definitely sat down. “I won’t move and you’ll get in trouble.”

“Yeah, and how is that going to work Big Shot? Shouta is just going to come down here and get you himself.” 

“True, but you like him right? Like really like him?”

Hizashi’s body went stiff and a blush crept on his face, “Uh...well-”

“Yeah thought so. What will Sensei think if you can’t even convince a kitten to walk up a hill? Pretty pathetic,” Katsuki mocked. 

“Katsuki! Hizashi! What’s the hold-up?” Shouta called up from the train tracks. He sat on top of the packed gravel and looked down at the blonde cats below.

Hizashi nervously looked at Shouta and back at the defiant kitten. Katsuki looked up at Hizashi and said, “Yeah Yamada, what’s the hold-up?”

“You little-” Hizashi growled. Hizashi took a deep breath and quickly said, “Fine! There is this thing on the back of their ankle and if you bite it, their whole leg gets stiff and they can’t chase after you. You didn’t get that from me. Got it?”

“Back of their ankle, got it!” Katsuki said. 

“Come on Katsuki! We need a caboose for our train!” Eri yelled out. 

“Coming!” the blonde kitten yelled back as he climbed up the gravel hill with Hizashi following close behind.

“Hurry!” the white kitten pleaded as she anxiously hopped up and down on the metal rail. 

“I’m here, I’m here,” Katsuki griped, “What are we doing?”

“Playing train. Eri’s the engine, you’re the caboose,” Hitoshi said. He climbed on top of the rail and stood behind Eri. 

“Whatever,” Katsuki said as he climbed up behind Hitoshi. 

“Be careful,” Shouta said. 

“Alright raise the caboose. All aboard!” Eri said. The kittens started marching forward on the metal rail along the bridge. Eri delightfully made train and whistle noises as she led her brothers, “Choo-choo-choo-choo. Whoo-whoo!” 

As the kitten train marched forward, Shouta and Hizashi followed. When Shouta started lagging behind, Hizashi slowed his pace and asked, “What’s going on Shouta?”

With the kittens out of earshot, Shouta asked, “What was the secret meeting about?” 

“With me and Tiger?” Hizashi nervously asked,” Oh I was just telling him about the..uh, scenery and the bridge and-”

“Drop it. I know that kid and he couldn't care less about the scenery”

Hizashi sighed and admitted, “Fine. I told him... where to bite if he needed to fight a human.”

“Great, now people will have more reasons to think that he’s feral,” Shouta said in annoyance. 

“You know,” Hizashi started to say, “not teaching them how to defend themselves won’t do them any good...And I think you know just what I mean.”

Shouta sharply looked at the blonde Tom and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on Sho, you’re not fooling anyone. I know a street-wise Tom when I see one.” Shouta hid his face at the prase. “The scarf thing is new, I’ll admit, but there's no mistaking those slick moves. You’re an alley cat.”

“Was an alley cat,” Shouta countered, “That was a different time in a different life. I’m a housecat now, one that looks after a very sick human. The same human that I’m trying to get us back to.”

“But you’re back out here now,” Hizashi reasoned, “And while you’re out here, why not teach them a thing or two in case we run into trouble again? I know I make it look easy,” the tom joked, “but it’s rough out here, especially for little guys like them.” 

The black cat looked at the kittens marching on the train rail. “They look so small,” Shouta thought to himself. He looked at Hizashi and said, “I’ve taught them what they need to know about survival.” 

“They know how to run and hide, but what about fighting? Biting, clawing, we need to give them a fighting chance out here.”

“They are learning how to be caregivers, not street cats,” Shouta explained, “I teach them how to take care of humans, that way they’ll be guaranteed a safe and comfortable life. If humans caught them acting feral, then they’ll be cast out into the streets. I want them to have a better life, better than the one I had.”

Both cats fell silent. They listened to the wind rustle through the trees and the water rush below them. The kitten train continued marching ahead of them as they neared the middle of the bridge. Hizashi broke the silence between them and said, “Dang, kids are tough, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Shouta groaned. 

“For what it's worth, I think that you’re doing an awesome job,” the blonde said with a smile. 

“Heh, right,” the black cat chuckled. 

“I’m serious!” Hizashi insisted. “And man, their mother must be quite the looker!”

“Their what?”

“Your mate. Hitoshi obviously got his looks from you, but Katsuki and Eri have your red eyes and-”

“Whoa, whoa wait,” Shouta interrupted, “I don’t have a mate, and they aren’t...I’m not their father.”

“You're not?!” 

“No, I’m their teacher. They’re my students.”

“Oh...oh wow,” Hzashi said in realization. 

“Why did you think that they call me sensei?” Shouta asked in amusement. 

“I thought...I don’t know what I thought. Wow... I’m embarrassed,” Hizashi admitted. The blonde laughed in relief and Shouta chuckled along with him. With the tension between them now gone, Hizashi looked at Shouta and bashfully asked, “So, no mate?”

“No,” Shouta answered with a small smile, “I don't have a mate.”

“Phew, that’s a relief,” Hizashi sighed, “I was worried that a queen would be waiting at your place to skin me alive!” 

“No, no need to worry about that.” Shouta was silent for a moment. Without looking at Hizashi, he said, “I’m... not much of a ladies’ man either.” 

“Y-You’re not?” Hizashi stammered. 

Shouta smiled coyly while glancing over to the blonde tom and said “Nope.” In one swift motion, Shouta rubbed his face up against Hizashi’s neck and ran his tail underneath the blonde’s chin. Then he caught up with the kittens and gave a coy look to the blonde over his shoulder. 

Hizashi was stunned for a moment. His breath hitched in his throat, his eyes were wide, and a heavy blush crept all over his face. Hizashi shook himself free from his daze and caught up to the black cat. He rubbed his face and the side of his body up against Shouta to return his affection, silently of course so that the kittens wouldn’t notice. The two shared subtle smiles and side glances and they walked side by side, with Eri the engine leading the way, “Clickety-clickety-clickety-clickety. Whoo-whoo!”

Suddenly, a loud train whistle blasted through the air. The bridge rumbled as an oncoming train came racing towards them. “Oh no!!” Eri screamed.

Without speaking, Shouta and Hizashi moved. Shouta grabbed both Katsuki and Hitoshi by their scruffs and Hizashi sprinted to grab Eri. Hizashi snatched up the white kitten and jumped off of the side of the bridge. He landed on a lower beam that was below the bridge and searched for Shouta and the other kittens. “Over here!” Shouta shouted to Hizashi. Shouta was protectively pressing the two kittens up against a bridge column. Hizashi raced over and pressed himself and Eri up against the column next to Shouta. 

“Brace yourselves!!” Shouta yelled over the roar of the oncoming train as it barreled over them. The bridge shook and quaked with each passing train car. Powerful gusts of wind came coursing through the lower beams, nearly knocking the cats off their feet. Worst of all was the train’s unbearingly loud whistle that made the cats wince each time it blared overhead. With the kittens between them, Hizashi and Shouta protectively pressed themselves closer together and clung to the column for dear life. 

It felt like an eternity before the last train car passed. When it finally did, a stillness settled back in and steadied the nerves of the shaken cats. Shouta and Hizashi pried themselves from the wooden column and carefully let the kittens down. Hizashi broke the silence and said, “Phew, what a blast! Is everyone ok?”

Shouta frantically looked around and asked, “Where’s Hitoshi?!”. 

“Sensei!!” Hitoshi called out from far below. Shouta looked over the edge and saw his kitten struggling to stay afloat in the rushing river. 

“HITOSHI!” Shouta screamed. Shouta’s mind raced with strategies and options on how to save his kitten, but before he could formulate a plan, a flash of golden fur rushed past him and dove into the river.

_**He is insane!!!** _

Hizashi tore himself to the surface of the water and gasped for air. He looked around and spotted Hitoshi choking and gasping for breath up ahead of him. “Keep your head up Hitoshi, here I come!” Hizashi said as he paddled fiercely through the water. 

Before they could get further swept up by the river, Shouta quickly stuffed Eri in his pouch and scruffed Katsuki. He ran along the wooden beams and jumped onto a ledge on the side of the cliff. Using the cascading rocks as a staircase, he quickly made his way down to the river bank. He put the two kittens down and said, “Katsuki, watch Eri. I need to get to Hitoshi,” before running off. Katsuki and Eri raced along the river bank and tried to keep up, but Shouta was faster and on a mission. 

Shouta’s heart pounded as he sprinted and scanned the river for Hizashi and Hitoshi. He finally spotted Hizashi clinging to a piece of driftwood with Hitoshi scruffed in his mouth. 

**_What do I do? How can I get to them?!_ **

Shouta scanned ahead and saw an old tree with long branches that hung over the river. 

**_That’s it!_ **

Shouta pushed himself to run faster than the river’s current. His lungs burned and his legs ached, but he ran ahead of Hizashi and Hitoshi and was quickly approaching the old tree. Thanks to his running start, Shouta was able to effortlessly leap onto the tree and climb out onto its hanging branches. Shouta spotted where Hizashi was and got into position. “Hizashi!” Shouta called out, “Hizashi up here! Throw him up here!”

Hizashi looked up to see Shouta positioned on a low-hanging branch. He tried to climb higher onto the driftwood, but it nearly rolled them both underwater. Hizashi had to think fast, he was quickly approaching Shouta and he had to time this perfectly. Just before he passed under Shouta, Hizashi stepped on top of the driftwood to propel himself up and threw Hitoshi up into the air. 

Shouta reached out with his paws to catch the kitten. Hitoshi nearly slipped from his grasp, but Shouta scooped the kitten from the air and into his scarf pouch. Shouta scurried off of the branch and dropped down from the tree. By then Katsuki and Eri had caught up to Shouta and were nearly out of breath. Shouta put Hitoshi down with the two kittens and turned to run after Hizashi. 

Eri came up to him first and asked, “Toshi! Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” he answered as he caught his breath, “I’m fine.”

“Dammit Hitoshi, why’d you have to fall off the bridge?!” Katsuki growled. 

The soaking kitten stuck his tongue out and shook his fur dry.

Meanwhile, Shouta was making no headway in catching up with Hizashi. The current was too strong and was moving Hizashi faster than before. Shouta tried sprinting like before, but he was running out of energy just trying to keep pace. Shouta called out to the blonde, “Hizashi! Hizashi!”

Hizashi stretched his head from the water and called back, “Twilight! How’s Slick doing?”

“Hitoshi’s fine! Swim closer so I can get to you!”

“No Sho, I’m beat. But I’m alright, just meet me downstream!”

“But-” Shouta said before nearly tripping over.

“Honey, don’t worry. I’ll see you soon!” Hizashi assured as he was carried further away. 

Shouta was nearing a dead end where the brush was thicker and nearly impossible to pass through quickly. Shouta slowed down and shouted, “Alright, be careful!”

“You too Twilight! Stay safe!”

Shouta followed for as long as he could until the brush was too thick. The kittens caught up to where Shouta was standing and craned their necks to watch Hizashi float away. 

“Take care, Mr. Yamada!” Eri shouted. 

Shouta looked down at his kittens and said, “Come on guys, let's get through this brush and meet back up with him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: Cats will rub their faces on things to "claim" them (or claim each other). Cats have scent glands on their heads, around their mouths, on their chins, and on their neck and ears. They also rub their scents on each other to create a communal scent so that it is specific to their group. 
> 
> A lot happened in this chapter, but my favorite part to write was Shouta and Hizashi flirting <3  
> What was your favorite part?
> 
> Thank you so much for reading <3


End file.
